Taoiseach accuses Sinn Féin of ‘politicking’ on Northern issues

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

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

Last Friday, Micheál Martin nominated 11 Senators to the Seanad – as provided for under the Irish Constitution.

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

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 Northern 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 Féin 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 upper house of the Oireachtas in a 2018 by-election.

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