Taoiseach accuses Sinn Fein of ‘politicking’ on Northern Ireland issues

The Taoiseach accused Sinn Fein of “politicking around Northern Ireland” issues as he defended his decision not to nominate any senators with a Unionist or Protestant background.

Last Friday, Micheal Martin nominated 11 senators to Ireland’s Seanad – as provided for under the Irish Constitution.

However, Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy said the picks were a “missed opportunity” because they did not include anyone from Northern Ireland.

In particular, he said Mr Martin had failed to send a “positive message” to Protestant and Unionist people that they are welcome in a united Ireland.

Mr Murphy, who left his role as economy minister in the Executive to become a senator in the Seanad, said he changed roles to further the party’s push for unification.

On Wednesday, Mr Martin defended the nominees and said he had been responsible for the “most substantive policy change and departure” in respect of North-South relations.

He said Mr Murphy had supported the Shared Island Initiative when it was established by Mr Martin in 2020 during his first term as Taoiseach.

“I think Sinn Fein are doing a lot of politicking around Northern Ireland, but there’s very little of substance in what they come forward with in respect of moving on and developing the agenda,” he said.

The Seanad has been without a northern unionist voice since 2020 when Ian Marshall failed to be re-elected after entering the Irish Parliament’s upper house in a 2018 by-election.

Under the terms of the coalition deal for the recently elected Irish Government, six of the Taoiseach’s nominees were from his Fianna Fail party and deputy premier Simon Harris’s Fine Gael party.