Sinn Féin trying to 'shut down debate', says taoiseach

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin hit out at Sinn Féin's legal tactics during his party's annual Wolfe Tone Commemoration

Sinn Féin is attempting to "shut down debate" by threatening to sue political opponents and the media, the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) has said.

Micheál Martin accused the party of a "growing attempt to intimidate" its critics, adding that opponents were now "regularly receiving legal threats".

He also claimed Ireland's public service broadcaster, RTÉ, was "being intimidated" by Sinn Féin.

But Sinn Féin dismissed Mr Martin's remarks as "bizarre and nonsensical".

The taoiseach made his comments during a speech at his party's annual Wolfe Tone Commemoration in Bodenstown Cemetery in County Kildare on Sunday.

"There is something deeply wrong with a party which has built its entire existence on honouring a campaign of violence but now attacks and sues anyone who claims that they supported particular actions within that campaign," he told the crowd.

'Fantasy attacks'

In response, Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy said: "These are the typical nonsensical comments we have come to expect from Micheál Martin.

"Instead of bizarre, fantasy attacks he would be better off focusing his attention on the spiralling cost of living crisis, a housing crisis that is worsening by the day, chronic health waiting lists and the climate emergency. That would be a better use of his remaining weeks in office."

It comes just days after RTÉ faced questions over its decision not to broadcast a pre-recorded interview with the author of a new book about Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.

The author, Shane Ross, is a former Irish government minister who lost his seat in the 2020 general election.

Mr Ross was interviewed about his biography by RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne programme, but the segment was not aired.

Mary Lou McDonald is the subject of a controversial new biography

'Aggressive' media management

At the time, the taoiseach demanded an explanation for dropping the interview and said the development had "a chilling effect on public debate and on democracy".

Paul Kehoe from the Fine Gael party, which is in coalition government with Mr Martin's Fianna Fáil party, described it as "censorship of the highest order".

But in a statement RTÉ said "broadcasters have editorial independence to decide what they cover and broadcast".

It added: "In this instance, the decision not to broadcast was an editorial decision and was not influenced by any legal issues."

On Sunday, Mr Martin continued to question Sinn Féin's approach to the press, accusing the party of "a regular pattern of aggressive management of the media".

"It's not just the national broadcaster which is being intimidated, political opponents are now regularly receiving legal threats for statements which no one previously thought could even be controversial," the taoiseach said.

Mr Martin has been taoiseach since June 2020, leading a coalition government consisting of his own Fianna Fáil party, Fine Gael and the Green party.

As part of the coalition agreement, Mr Martin is due to switch positions with Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar in December 2022, at the half-way point in the government's expected term.

Sinn Féin is the main opposition party in the Republic of Ireland, having won the highest percentage of first preference votes in the 2020 election.