Tánaiste tells Dáil 'gardaí are in their graves' due to Sinn Féin's 'army wing'

Simon Harris accused Sinn Féin of supporting 'terrorist organisations' and described Hamas as 'buddies' of party members

Simon Harris said: 'We don't need any revisionism from you because it's part of your support for terrorist originations across the world that has stalled the development of peace and the release of hostages.' File photo: Maxwell's/PA

The Tánaiste has lashed out at Sinn Féin saying there are "gardaí who are dead in their graves" because of the party's "army wing".

In heated exchanges, Simon Harris said Sinn Féin has "no right to lecture him" before adding that the party know "nothing about defending the Republic".

Speaking under Dáil privilege, Mr Harris accused Sinn Féin of supporting "terrorist organisations" and described Hamas as "buddies" of party members.

Responding to Sinn Féin's deputy Dáil leader Pearse Doherty who criticised Government plans to redevelop the GPO, Mr Harris said: "Don't you dare present yourself as a defender of the Republic, there are gardaí dead in this country as a result of the actions of your party's army wing. 

"You know nothing about defending the Republic and here you all are with your Hamas buddies."

Raising his voice, he added: "A Republic that your party worked to undermine, collected the killers of Gerry McCabe from a prison."

After serving prison sentences for the death of garda McCabe, Pearse McAuley and Kevin Walsh were collected from Castlerea Prison in 2009 by then Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris.

Amid heckling and shouts, Mr Harris also referenced a 2016 meeting between Sinn Féin's national chairperson Declan Kearney and one of the main Hamas leaders, Musa Abu Marzouk among others.

Mr Harris said:

We don't need any revisionism from you because it's part of your support for terrorist originations across the world that has stalled the development of peace and the release of hostages.

It came after Mr Doherty said the Coalition was "blatantly disrespecting and vandalising" what he said was "hallowed ground" in pushing ahead with plans to develop the GPO.

Mr Doherty said the GPO is "one of our most iconic sites of our country's fight for freedom, it's the place where the Irish republic was declared, where it was bravely defended during the Easter Rising and it's disgraceful stuff coming from your Government".