Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin moved quickly to state the party’s Brexit stance after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was slammed by one of his senior TDs and accused of not engaging “in basic diplomacy”.
Communications spokesman Timmy Dooley insisted today in a tweet that a UK “standoff” was because of a “direct result of Taoiseach Varadkar’s failure to engage in basic diplomacy over the past 2 years”.
Mr Dooley also stressed in the tweet that he later deleted: “The Government’s lack of experience and arrogance will hurt Ireland in the coming months.”
The Taoiseach had not spoken to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson prior to the social media message being posted this morning by the Clare TD.
A number of hours later in the afternoon, Mr Martin tweeted: “To be absolutely clear; the refusal by PM Boris Johnson to engage with European leaders and our Taoiseach without pre conditions on the issue of Brexit is unacceptable and is not within the realms of normal diplomatic or political behaviour.”
It is believed the Fianna Fail leader and Mr Dooley spoke by telephone today after their respective tweets.
Some senior Fianna Fail politicians were said to be angered by Mr Dooley’s comments, while the Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein parties also criticised the move.
