Party has no Sinn Fein deal plan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8076619.stm

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The leader of Ireland's Fine Gael opposition party has said that it has no intention of negotiating a partnership with Sinn Féin.

It follows a piece in a Sunday newspaper by the party's Director of Elections Frank Flannery.

Mr Flannery said that opposition to Sinn Féin in government could no longer be considered its position.

However, party leader Enda Kenny said said Mr Flannery was expressing a personal opinion, not party policy.

In the article in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Mr Flannery said his party would consider entering government with Sinn Féin if the situation arose.

Fianna Fail, the majority party in the Republic of Ireland's coalition government said it was "astounded" by the comments and that "it proves Fine Gael would do anything to get into power".

Mr Kenny said that he would be reminding Mr Flannery of the party's position and that his party would not be "doing business with Sinn Féin".

Mr Flannery qualified his statement on Irish radio later on Sunday, saying that he was "mindful of the fact that they (Sinn Féin) are in government in the north with the full support of the Irish people through the peace process and they seem to be doing a very respectable job there and my point really was that it's something that Fine Gael will discuss".

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said Mr Kenny's comments and those of Fianna Fail were irrelevant and that people "want to see a general election".

Voters in the Republic go to the polls on Friday to cast ballots in European elections, local elections, and two by-elections - in Dublin Central and Dublin South.