SINN FÉIN’s Martin McGuinness has expressed outrage at attacks on his presidential candidacy from senior Fine Gael figures, who are trying to encourage the governing party’s grassroots to rally behind Gay Mitchell.
Fine Gael sources confirmed that the party leadership’s strategy of levelling strongly worded accusations at Mr McGuinness was part of a drive to motivate party voters to come out in support of Mr Mitchell in the October 27th election.
Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe used Twitter yesterday to attack Mr McGuinness’s commitment to draw the average industrial wage if elected. “Why would you need your salary when you have the proceeds of the Northern Bank at your disposal,” Mr Kehoe said. The IRA stole £26.5 million (€31.35 million) from the Northern Bank in 2004.
Mr McGuinness’s spokesman described Mr Kehoe’s reference to the proceeds of the Northern Bank robbery as “an absolutely outrageous remark for the Government Chief Whip to make”. The spokesman said if Mr Kehoe had any evidence “about Martin McGuinness and the Northern Bank”, he should bring it to the attention of An Garda Síochána.
“Martin McGuinness thinks it was extremely irresponsible for him to make such a flippant and idiotic remark,” he added. Mr Kehoe had previously used Twitter to say: “I wouldn’t trust Martin McGuinness to take my dog for a walk.”
Mr Mitchell also criticised Mr McGuinness, disputing his assertions he left the IRA in 1974 and that he lived on the average industrial wage.
“I would not be a proper candidate for president if I did not stand up for the truth . . . I find when Mr McGuinness talks about his version of Northern Ireland and we want to tell him what actually happened he cries like somebody with a baby in his arms,” he said.
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan described Mr McGuinness as a “terrorist” and claimed corporate investment in Ireland would dwindle if the North’s former deputy first minister became president.
Separately, Independent candidate Seán Gallagher called on fellow Independent candidate David Norris to release further letters he wrote seeking clemency for his former partner Ezra Nawi. Mr Norris said said he had legal advice not to publish the letters and insisted the matter was “not an issue” with the public. Mr Nawi was convicted of the statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy and spent one month in prison.
Mr Gallagher also said Independent candidate Mary Davis should publish any fees she earned for her service on semi-State and commercial boards. “I believe that anybody who has received fees or taxpayers’ money for their involvement on State boards should clearly publish that,” he said. Ms Davis said any fees she earned were transparent and in the public domain.
