Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell said he will "respect the decision" of the Irish people if they elect Martin McGuinness as President despite his party’s views on the Sinn Féin candidate.
Speaking on RTÉ radio's Pat Kenny Show this morning, Mr Mitchell said he "did not believe a lot of what Sinn Féin say about themselves" but it was up to voters to decide who to vote for.
“I come from the Gay Byrne school about Sinn Féin because I do not believe a lot of what they say. I’ve raised my own questions. And I think Martin needs to answer those questions and the people will make a judgement. We all have to accept the democratic will of the people. That’s where I stand.”
Yesterday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said of sharp attacks made by senior Fine Gael figures on Mr McGuinness were to be expected in an election campaign. However, Mr Kenny said he personally would not be criticising any of the presidential candidates.
Last weekend, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said the election of a “former terrorist” to Áras an Uachtaráin would jeopardise foreign investment. Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe said Mr Kehoe said on Twitter that the Sinn Féin candidate had the proceeds of the Northern Bank robbery of 2004 at his disposal.
Commenting on remarks he made suggesting he would throw himself off O’Connell Bridge if asked to smile any more, Mr Mitchell said it merely meant “Get off my back.”
“We need people in politics now that are more like Charles de Gaulle than Charlie Chaplin. Our situation is that serious. I mean, really, judging people on the colour of their tie or how many times they smile? The president has a role to play at this important crossroads in out country," he said.
"I believe in enterprise and social justice. We got too materialistic [during the boom]. My view of life is this. If you want social justice you need to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit to develop the wealth to pay for it. I have to persuade people around the country that this is the way to go. No more thinking 'what I have what I hold' A safety net should be there for us all," he said.
Asked whether he was disappointed with his performance in recent polls, Mr Mitchell said his campaign had only launched yesterday and “the real game starts now”.