More engagement needed with NI communities - Varadkar
At a glance
I锘縭ish T谩naiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar says the government needs to engage more with all people in Northern Ireland
H锘縠 tells his party conference that Fine Gael would never go into a coalition with Sinn F茅in
H锘縪wever he praises Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Miche谩l聽Martin
M锘縭 Varadkar is due to take up the post of taoiseach on 17 December as part of the coalition government deal
- Published
T锘縣e Irish government needs to engage more with all communities in Northern Ireland with the current stalement at Stormont "not a realistic option", T谩naiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar has said.
M锘縭 Varadkar was speaking at the Ard Fheis (annual party conference) of his party Fine Gael.
H锘縠 added that Fine Gael needed to redouble its efforts to find a path forward for the restoration of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
M锘縭 Varadkar also criticised Sinn F茅in and praised Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Miche谩l聽Martin.
The Fine Gael leader is due to replace Mr Martin as taoiseach on 17 December, as part of the deal their parties agreed to form a coalition government.
Mr Varadkar told party members: "Let's acknowledge that our Taoiseach Miche谩l Martin has been a good one.
"锘縏hrough difficult circumstances, including the latter stages of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, he has been a voice for decency, kindness and common sense and we thank him for it."
Sinn F茅in policy 'disaster'
H锘縠 added that he wanted the government - formed between his party, Mr Martin's Fianna F谩il and the Green Party - to last.
"锘縒e have a political system that can be adversarial at election times, but which can also produce coalitions that work."
H锘縪wever, Mr Varadkar said he would never consider going into coalition with Sinn F茅in.
H锘縠 told Fine Gael members that Sinn F茅in's policies would be a "disaster to our country".
S锘縫eaking about Northern Ireland, Mr Varadkar said his party needed "to engage with northern nationalists, unionists and that growing middle ground who identify as both Northern Irish rather than British or Irish - and those who identify as both".
"锘縎talemate and the status quo is not a realistic option or an acceptable one," he added.
N锘縪rthern Ireland has been without a government since February as the DUP has refused to return to power-sharing due to its protest over the post-Brexit rules overseeing trade, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
T锘縣e Fine Gael party leader also touched on a number of issues which he said the party was determined to tackle including the housing crisis, climate change and imposing stronger sentences for crime.