John Cushnahan: Sinn Fein tell Varadkar to quit for one non criminal incident yet they promote ex terrorists

Last week, the leader of Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald once again raised the suitability of Leo Varadkar remaining in ministerial office because he had sent a copy of an agreement between the state and the Irish Medical Organisation to Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, the then president of a rival GP organisation, the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP).

Despite pointing out that the information was already in the public domain, he admitted that what he did was “inappropriate” and apologised.

A Sinn Fein motion of no confidence in him was rejected after a Dail debate.

Following a decision by the Garda Siochana to upgrade the investigation into his actions and even though leading legal experts were of the opinion that it was unlikely that the Tánaiste would face criminal charges, the Sinn Fein leader called on him to resign or for the Taoiseach to sack him if he didn’t.

If any of these suggestions had been implemented, it would have precipitated a major political crisis causing a possible general election in the middle of the current pandemic and accompanying economic crisis.

However, what makes the Sinn Fein leader’s action totally hypocritical is the stance that Sinn Fein adopt when they select candidates to be appointed to ministerial office in Northern Ireland.

At least three of them, have not only been charged with criminal terrorist offences but convicted of them before being appointed as ministers in the NI power-sharing executive.

Gerry Kelly was convicted in November 1973 of the ‘London Bombings’ of that year and given two life sentences plus 20 years. He was appointed as junior minister to the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister from 2007 to 2011.

Following him in the same ministerial role from 2011-2012 was Martina Anderson who was convicted of a number of offences including carrying firearms and causing explosions and who was also given a life sentence.

Caral Ni Chuilin was convicted in 1990 of firearms possession, possession of explosives with the intent to endanger life, and attempted murder. She was sentenced to eight years in prison, but she was released after four years.

She served as minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure from 2011 to 2016 and in 2020 under Ms McDonald’s leadership of the all-Ireland party she was appointed as Minister for Communities.

I would invite the Sinn Fein leader to justify if these were suitable credentials for appointment to Ministerial Office.

I would further invite her to clarify if they were to win the next election in the Republic of Ireland would Sinn Fein appoint anyone with a terrorist record to the post of minister of Justice (or to the same position in the NI Assembly after the 2022 Assembly elections).

John Cushnahan, Former Leader of Alliance Party and Former Fine Gael MEP

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