Updated 5.20pm
RENUA LEADER LUCINDA Creighton has firmly ruled out doing any post-election coalition deal with Sinn Féin saying the party has no desire to be in a position of responsibility.
Creighton said that Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty’s refusal to sign-off on the banking inquiry report is evidence of the party not willing to be in power.
“I’ve been very clear and consistent in saying that we will not do business with the Sinn Féin party,” she told reporters at an event to discuss Renua’s flat tax proposal in Dublin this morning.
We don’t believe that Sinn Féin is ready, or has any desire, to be in a position of responsibility in the country.
She said Doherty had previously refused to sign-off on reports related to European affairs and lashed the party for what she said are “histrionics”:
It’s designed to get attention in the media, and it’s irresponsible politics as far as I’m concerned.
Her comments prompted a reaction from Doherty on Twitter this afternoon. He accused Creighton of promoting a “herd mentality [that] attacks contrarian views”:
Creighton then hit back accusing Doherty of having seen a “media opportunity”. She threw in a #chancers hashtag for good measure:
But it didn’t end there as Doherty said that Creighton was in fact the #chancer:
There’s been no response from Creighton as yet, although Fine Gael TD and grammar garda Alan Farrell has steamed in:
Earlier, Creighton said that her party was not interested in potential coalition talks with a party that has been closely aligned with the IRA in the past.
She continued: “We know that the decisions that are taken in the Sinn Féin party are taken elsewhere. We saw, in the recent report, the close connection with the Army Council.
“That’s not something that Renua Ireland, a party that believes in transparency, openness and ultimately in democracy, has any truck with.”
The Dublin South-East TD said it was “self-evident” that Renua had little in common with hard-left parties like People Before Profit, but did not name any other party she would rule out of a coalition deal.
However in an interview with TheJournal.ie in June, the former Fine Gael minister appeared to rule out coalition with just about every party:
Creighton also said this morning that Renua would be publishing a list of so-called red line issues during the election campaign. These will be policies that the party will not compromise on in any coalition negotiations.
She said that Renua – which has a free vote on issues of conscience – would not commit to holding any referendum on the Eighth Amendment. Creighton said it is not a priority for the party.
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