Leo Varadkar: Sinn Féin will ‘make Ireland broke again’ if they are elected to power

Speaking ahead of an Ireland Fund gala dinner in Washington DC, the Taoiseach said he was looking forward to speaking with Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

However, he said he is still opposed to going into government with Sinn Féin.

He said he is willing to cooperate with Sinn Féin on issues relating to Northern Ireland but said entering into a coalition with Mary Lou McDonald’s party in the Republic will not happen while he is Fine Gael leader.

“I firmly believe that Sinn Féin will make Ireland broke again if they pursue their economic and trade policies,” he said.

“I know they're telling one thing to business leaders but they tell a very different thing to the Irish people,” he added.

Mr Varadkar also took issue with Sinn Féin’s foreign policies which he said will “turn our friends into enemies”.

He said Sinn Féin’s support of separatists in Spain along with support for Cuba and Venezuela could cause Ireland problems with other allies.

He said the party is “already making an enemy” of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by seeking to veto her reappointment.

He said Sinn Féin are “very quiet” in the United States about their foreign policy and their support for certain regimes.

“I think a lot of countries that are friends of ours at the moment will be turned into enemies,” he added.

Mr Varadkar also described as “unhelpful” Sinn Féin’s demand for a border poll.

He said the Good Friday Agreement sets out a pathway for unity when it becomes clear that the majority of people in the North and South are in favour of unification.

“The majority of people in Northern Ireland in particular don't want unification at this time. I think pressing for that and calling for that actually makes it harder for the Good Friday Agreement institutions to work,” he said.

He said recent research showed 20pc of people come from a Catholic background in Northern Ireland want to remain in United Kingdom but only 4pc of people who come from Protestant background want unification

“If we're ever going to have unification we need more people from a Protestant background, more people who don't identify as Protestant or Catholic, considering unification and I think be an approach actually puts them off,” he said.