Sinn Féin has accused the Tánaiste of desperation after he claimed the party was “infecting” a new generation of young people by “triumphalising” the IRA.
Eoin Ó Broin said Micheál Martin was increasingly resorting to negative attacks on his party rather than trying to project a positive vision.
The Sinn Féin TD said the comments by the Fianna Fáil leader were “ill-judged” and “patronising”.
On Monday, Mr Martin said there was “huge incompatibility” between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin as he accused the main opposition party of being “very slow to bring closure to many victims of Provisional IRA violence”.
He claimed Sinn Féin continued to celebrate the “horrible deeds” of the IRA.
“They still try to triumphalise it, they still try to justify it. The problem with that is that you’re infecting a new generation of young people,” Mr Martin said.
“We need to take all of that out of our politics and move on.
“And if we expect others to do it, then I think Sinn Féin have an obligation to do that, and they’re showing no evidence – in fact they’re doubling down, and that’s a view I have.”
Mr Ó Broin, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson, said the Tánaiste was insulting the intelligence of young people.
He said today’s generation was more concerned with the lack of affordable homes in the State.
“I have to say, Micheál Martin would be far better placed to listen to what young people are saying and to address their key concerns in areas, for example, like housing than making what I think are very ill-judged, patronising and insulting remarks about young people’s intelligence,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin, he added: “I think Micheál Martin is desperate. I don’t think he has anything positive to offer young people on housing, on health care, on childcare, and therefore, increasingly so much of his commentary is negative.
“Our focus is positive. We have real solutions to the problems that are affecting all sections of our society, and particularly young people, and particularly on housing.”
Mr Ó Broin also responded to Mr Martin’s remarks about Sinn Féin being “incompatible” with Fianna Fáil in the context of a future coalition government.
“Well, Fianna Fáil is the party of rising rents, rising house prices and rising homelessness, so they’re all incompatible with Sinn Féin policies because we want to end homelessness, reduce rents, reduce house prices, and deliver the largest public house building programme in the history of the state,” he said.
“I just think if Micheál Martin had something positive to say, yesterday was his day to say it. He spent most of his time criticising us, that’s his business, I think it’s a sign of his desperation. Our focus is on the solutions to people’s concerns.”
Responding to Mr Ó Broin, the Tánaiste accused him of offering a “glib” answer to the claim that Sinn Féin was glorifying violence and not offering closure for victims.
“The context was about violence and trumphalising violence, and you perhaps should ask Eoin about that – does Eoin Ó Broin not think it’s time for Sinn Féin to bring closure to many of the victims of atrocities of the Provisional IRA? That’s the question I would be putting to Eoin Ó Broin,” he told reporters in Co Tipperary on Tuesday afternoon.
“I think we need to make sure the younger generations are not fed the same diet that my generation was fed, and other generations were fed about the glorification of violence.”
