Fianna Fáil criticises Varadkar for ‘predators’ comparison

Fianna Fáil has criticised the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for a comment whereby he compared the party to “predators”.

The party’s Brexit spokeswoman Lisa Chambers said the comments were “silly and baseless” and said it displayed a “breathtaking level of arrogance on the part of the Taoiseach.”

“The country would be better served if he had delivered a speech in which he outlined how he was going to deal with the health and housing crises, but I note he failed to mention both ministers, it says it all really.”

Mr Varadkar made the comments during a speech at the annual Fine Gael presidential dinner on Saturday night.

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“During the week, the leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan, announced his great plan on Twitter to repopulate rural Ireland. But not with people, with wolves.

“I would have thought the Greens’ experience of being in government with Fianna Fáil would have warned them off predators who should be extinct.” Fianna Fáil health spokesman Stephen Donnelly described the comments as “offensive”.

‘Ridiculous claim’

Labour party leader Brendan Howlin said he believed that the speech showed the Taoiseach is “out of touch.”

“The main thrust of Leo Varadkar’s speech was to frame the upcoming general election in terms of a battle between him and Micheál Martin to lead the next government. What he forgot to mention is that between them, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil got less than half of the total vote in the last general election.”

“Rather than make the ridiculous claim that Fine Gael is the ‘underdog’ coming into the next election, Leo Varadkar should reflect on the fact that his party has had eight years in government, including at least three when the economy was back on its feet. The fact that so much is not working in relation to housing, healthcare and low pay suggestions that the Taoiseach is out of touch with reality.”

Mr Varadkar was wrong to compare Sinn Féin to wolves, a party TD has said. Leo Varadkar said he would sooner bring back wolves than let Sinn Féin into Government, in his speech on Saturday.

“Decisions are made by those who turn up. Sinn Féin doesn’t – either to the House of Commons or Stormont. I’d sooner bring back the wolves than let Sinn Féin into government,” he said.

Trivial

On Tuesday, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan called for the reintroduction of wolves to help rewild the Irish countryside, but it was rejected by Heritage and Culture Minister Josepha Madigan who said the government has no plans to do so. Mr Varadkar also used his speech to take aim at Fianna Fáil and compared them to predators.

“The leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan, announced his great plan on Twitter to repopulate rural Ireland with wolves. I would have thought the Greens’ experience of being in government with Fianna Fáil would have warned them off dangerous predators.”

Speaking on RTE programme The Week In Politics, Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly criticised Mr Varadkar’s comments: “The Taoiseach’s remarks were quite low. To compare me, my fellow colleagues and comrades in Sinn Féin and our supporters to wild animals . . . I don’t think that is a comment worthy of the office of an Taoiseach.

“I think that those remarks really trivialise and make light of what is a very serious job. In that regard, I do think it is warranted to compare him with Boris Johnson because that kind of cod acting and play acting and juvenile action should have no place at all,” she said. – Additional reporting PA