Adams accuses Kenny of ‘spoofing’ over Army at ATMs

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has accused Taoiseach Enda Kenny of “spoofing” and “making an eejit of himself” over the story that the Army might have been required to guard ATMs.

Mr Kenny said on Wednesday he did not receive a specific briefing from the Central Bank about increasing security at ATMs when the euro crisis was at its worst.

He had previously told a European People’s Party (EPP) conference in Madrid that Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan had told him to prepare to deploy the Army.

Mr Adams said: “All of this tomfoolery, getting carried away with himself, making an eejit of himself, shows the need for practical-based, people-centred politics and the alternatives that are outlined by the Right2Change campaign.”

Sinn Féin confirmed on Tuesday it would sign up to a left-wing voting pact with parties and Independents who sign up to the Right2Change policy platform, which has developed from the anti-water charges movement.

Mr Adams insisted the pact would represent a “huge advantage” for Independents and other parties.

He said he was not accusing Mr Kenny of lying, but was accusing him of “spoofing” and telling “tall tales”. He added: “I’m using parliamentary discretion here. I just think he gets carried away with himself.”

He said Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty was right to demand the Banking Inquiry ask both Mr Honohan and Mr Kenny to clarify the position.

“He’s a spoof, that’s the problem. And if these matters are untrue then he needs to clarify that more than he has done...and if it’s true then why wasn’t it reported to the banking inquiry?”

Mr Adams was speaking to reporters on the plinth outside Leinster House.

Elsewhere Mr Kenny told RTE issue of bank security was raised during a discussion about a general discussion on what would happen if the euro currency broke-up.

Meanwhile Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said whether or not there was a formal meeting about it was “beside the point”. “There certainly were conversations about contingencies that would have to be put in place if we had ended up in a situation like Greece or Cyprus, so in that sense what he said in Madrid was very much in line with the kind of conversations that were being had at the time,” he said.

Asked should a clarifying statement be issued to Dáil/banking inquiry, Mr VAradkar said: “I don’t think that’s necessary, I think what he said was pretty clear but that’s up to the inquiry.”