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GERRY ADAMS WAS subjected to a robust interview by veteran Cork radio host Neil Prendeville this morning, with the Red FM presenter essentially throwing the kitchen sink at the Sinn Féin leader as he grilled him on his past and on his party’s current policies.
The presenter raised controversy after controversy over a 40 minute phone interview, as he pressed the Louth TD on his party’s ‘Gerry problem’ – asking whether it would be better for his colleagues if he stepped down from his leadership role.
Everything from the killing of Jean McConville and his alleged membership of the IRA to Sinn Féin’s handling of the Mairia Cahill case was brought up.
It’s the second time in less than a week that Prendeville has conducted a robust interview with a party leader. On Friday, he had a number of tense exchanges with Taoiseach Enda Kenny:
Oliver Callan / TwitterAfter 5 years, someone finally did a challenging interview with Enda Kenny. Kudos to @neilprendaville @CorksRedFM https://t.co/oT3gbdx1y6
— Oliver Callan (@olivercallan) February 14, 2016
Towards the end of the interview, the broadcaster told Kenny and listeners:
Taoiseach, I’ve been put under fierce pressure by your people. They’re all standing behind me waving their hands and telling me to stop.
Policy
In his interview with Adams this morning, Prendeville also attempted to highlight the perception that the Sinn Féin leader is often sketchy on detail by repeatedly asking specific questions about areas like pensions and PRSI.
The conversation became heated as the host pressed the Sinn Féin leader on the sexual assaults carried out by his brother Liam Adams against his daughter Áine, the TD’s niece. The questioning focused on the timeline of events, and when Gerry had first known of the abuse…
Adams: There were a number of inquiries into all of these issues. And whatever my political opponents might want to make of this, the outcome of all of those inquiries was that I did nothing wrong. And God forbid, Neil, that you find an abuse situation in your own home. I just wish you well in trying to deal with it.
Prendeville: No I understand that, and it’s wrong of you to personalise it with me Gerry.
Adams: You’re personalising it with me.
Prendeville: I’m not, I’m talking about something that was on the record.
Adams: You’re talking about something that’s a deeply wounding family situation for all involved.
Prendeville: I understand that and there’s no point trying to turn it around and trying to make me the enemy, I’m just dealing with things that you’ve taken fire for.
Adams: I’m answering the question Neil don’t be so… You expect me to sit here thick-skinned listening to all of this and when I say I wish you well if unfortunately you have to deal with one of these situations, you get ultra-sensitive.
Prendeville: No I’m not, I’m just saying you’re personalising it against me.
Adams: And you’re not?
Prendeville: You’re the one that’s running for government.
Earlier in the interview, Prendeville had referred to Adams’ tenure as leader as Sinn Féin as “almost like a dictatorship” asking “is it ego that keeps you there?”.
Adams, before talking up the team he had build up around him, responded:
This isn’t really about me because if I’d any sense I’d go get a life.
He said he would remain in charge as long as his party wanted him to, and that he would place his name before his colleagues again at their next Ard Fheis in April.
Policy details
Quizzing the Sinn Féin leader on policy details, he attempted to pin Adams down on issues like pensions and the minimum wage.
“Fianna Fáil will increase the state pension by €30 over five years. Will you match or better that?” Prendeville asked.
Pressed several times to answer with specifics Adams said ”we will do our very, very best to relieve the burden on elderly people”.
“You don’t have a figure though,” the host responded, cutting him off.
Asked about the minimum wage, Adams said his party would increase it before admonishing the presenter for his characterisation of the election, insisting that people are “not looking at this as if this is a horse race”.
Tomás Sheehan / TwitterGreat interview again by @NeilRedFM with Gerry Adams, took no bull from him
— Tomás Sheehan (@TomasSheehan) February 15, 2016
IRA membership
When Micheál Martin’s comment to the Irish Independent that “of course” Adams was in the IRA was brought up, the Sinn Féin TD responded:
Well why doesn’t he go to the Garda Síochána and report me?
As the interview came to a close the presenter again grilled his guest on policy specifics, this time regarding business – with Adams arguing that Sinn Féin intended to introduce a suite of measures and insisting it was inappropriate to focus on just one.
Prendeville: Are you going to double PRSI for SMEs?
Adams: We are going to bring in a cocktail of measures – we’re going to get rid of upwards-only rents…
Prendeville: I didn’t ask you about upward-only rents I asked you about doubling…
Adams: Neil, please.
Prendeville: No you please, I asked you about…
Adams: Don’t be combative just for the sake of it.
Prendeville: I’m not being combative. I asked you are you going to double employers’ PRSI for SMEs and you went on about upward-only rents.
Allowed to answer, Adams said the party was “looking at this in the round”. He insisted that small and medium enterprises would be better off under Sinn Féin, referring to the current tax system as “very unfair and unequal”.
The interview generated a huge response online, with some praising Prendeville for his tough questioning and others maintaining Adams performed well under pressure.
Despite the fireworks, the exchange ended in a civil manner.
The Irish politician is a social hoor…at the right price they’d jump in bed with anyone.
And we all know who ends up getting screwed.
What are we going do,put the same lot in again what ever way you want to mix them FG.LAB.FF.SF.PBP.INDS.and so on.Fair dues to the people who want to start a new party it will make it interesting, better to light a candle than cursing the darkness.
Both Lucinda’s ( Party A) and Shane’s (Party B) are both straight down the middle in terms of policy (of which neither has yet). Why can they all not join forces to make one super party. I mean they will broadly represent the same people so why not merge ? I could see a party with Ross, Donnelly, Hobbs, Creighton, Ming coming together to form a party and they would elect one leader. This party would also try to remain firm ally’s of the Independents. That is the way forward and I hope politics and policy don’t get in the way of making it happen.
Who cares to be honest once they slither in through the gates in Leinster house they all become the same regardless of the label they wore out side the gates.
Well, why don’t you run for election and change all that?!
Charles J. Ahern. Isn’t it true that you fought in the war of independence and signed off on the E-voting machines, all the while carrying on an affair with Terry Keane?
Huh?
Because Charles that would involve doing something, most people would rather moan.
Here you go bud http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/si/0369.html and here is some more info http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/elections_and_referenda/national_elections/nomination_for_membership_of_dail_eireann.html was thinking I might meself as well anybody want to lend me €500 quid?
Charles, if you expect every citizen who has an opinion on anything to go into politics, who do you propose should do the hundreds of thousands of normal jobs that will then be left vacant?
‘well why don’t you the world’ is the most overused trite defense imaginable. Should we be praising Hitler? ‘sure at least he tried some new policies’
They’re all hoors who’d sell their grannies to a harem for power. When push comes to shove, the orgy will happen.
All too true Daisy. As soon as they’re within striking distance of a chance of power and perks they’ll all be conveniently forgetting what they said before the election
The joke is that leadership of this country is not actually power.
I guess you have to get elected before you fully realise that.
Even the “independents” that are in the Dáil right now are under the illusion that they will be the people re-elected, and are already discussing who they might ally with..
well there is news for all of you so called “independents that sat with closed mouths during 2014 – Is not only the 3 main parties that have to worry about their seats, it is quite a lot of you parasites as well.
the Audacity of it! – you think that because you were “independent” somehow exonerates you from the last shower of clowns we have had for nigh on 30 years?
Your silence on your watch might well get you into trouble, Beware of the new savvy Irish voter with the power of non sponsored state media,
I think this next election will bring home a lot of home truths for both big parties and independents alike..
let the blood letting begin…
Id bet Joan will think… “that’s an awful expensive phone he has”
Are still on xmas holidays ? They can’t wait to get back to fill in there expenses forms !
I wouldn’t get into bed with Mary Lou (in the political sense)
For once I agree with Michael Healy r…they are presumptions
Healy-Rae is everything wrong with irish politics. A nothing person, only in the Dáil because his father was. How the people of Kerry keep electing him I’ll never know. Then again, I’m from North tipp, and we all know the reptile that keeps getting re-elected there.
Labour have decided to jump into bed with the P45′s.
I have no time for anything to do with Michael Healy-Rae …
A lot off TD’s won’t have political employment next year particularly FG and that minor party (I can’t use their name) as they are an insult to working people..
Define “working people”!
Working people is an oxymoron: they don’t work, never worked and have no intention of working.
I don’t really buy the idea that it’s presumptuous because they don’t know if they’ll be reelected. Isn’t the point that they put themselves to the electorate as a group who might actually get into government as a group? This will have a bearing on whether or not people vote for them.
The fact about ANY T.D. in my view is that they will always do what the party tells them and they do this in the hope of becoming a minister and the reason comes down to money in my view, an over paid wage and a ridiculous pension.
Donnelly is the most credible and realistic independant TD there is. This is a significant blow to Ross et al.
I just hope Donnelly doesn’t fold and join the plebs in FF, FG or SF. He is far too good to be stuck with those clowns.
James I could not agree with you more,with ref to next election, surly we now have a situation where ” The Devil you don ‘t know is better then the devil you do know” We know what we have had over the decades, so it is worth taking a chance, after all could a collection of independents do any more damage then the main stream?
The damage is already done, so we have nothing to lose.
I was about to launch my new True Republican party, but given the negativity on here, it might be better I don’t. It seems like we’re all better off just watching other people step up.
Comrade, Sinn Fein are the only true republicans.
Not sure where Donnelly’s coming from.Catherine Murphy says the new alliance is centre right and that’s where I would have put him.
It annoys me when people make statements and then don’t elaborate. Why won’t you be joining Stephen, what’s the deal breaker? It’ll give the electorate some perspective.
One thing all politicians have in common is expenses so if they form the expenses party then they will get plenty volunteers.
I find myself agreeing with a Healy-Rae.
This disturbs me.
A National Government is the better option, one TD, one vote open and transparent so that the people who voted for them can judge them on their record. This forces the elected to stick by their promises more closely.
I get sick to my stomach watching the ‘Opposition’ (Fianna Fail) give out about the state of the health system when it’s Michael Martin we have to thank for the HSE and lest we not forget the 64billion white elephant on our shoulders.
Running scared
‘Radical’ politics in Ireland = the same old faces changing the whip system a bit.
Here we go, bickering among the independents. Get it together guys, quit with the petty spats, or you’ll look like a joke by the next election.
Great photo of Stephen Donnelly and Shane Ross at the start of the article.
And so does the electorate not more of the same cronies,spouting crap,we want change,but the right kind of change,and of course abolish Irish Water is first thing on the menu
At first glance of the thumbnail pic I thought it was Angus young.
Said crap, gigs off! !!
Some people are just not cut out for the possibility of governing, and to be put in a position where they would actually have to take decisions and make choices! They would prefer to be hurlers on the ditch, forever.
Donnelly needs to link up with the Trots and get them to join in with Shane Ross, Lucinda, and the rest in a proper policy led alternative based on honesty and integrity in politics to give to give us a fresh coherent start, making a complete break with the past. We need ideas though for a name for the new outfit.
Why would you link Creighton with honesty and integrity? She’s done nothing but prevaricate since she left FG.
That’s not fair. Lucinda has only had 18 months so far to figure out her policy positions. It will take her at least another year to reach agreement with all the other independents never mind having to think up a name for the party.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Booooooorrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg……..
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