Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has dismissed comments made by Enda Kenny as “opportunistic and demeaning to his office.”
Mr Adams was responding to remarks earlier today from the Taoiseach, who said Sinn Féin needs “to get its act together” in relation to its handling of cases of sexual abuse. Mr Kenny went also said that Gerry Adams should go to Gardaí immediately to pass on any information he has in relation to cases of sexual abuse.
Mr Adams said that the Taoiseach is “more interested in exploiting” the issue to attack him than engaging in reform. Mr Adams pointed to Mr Kenny’s failure to act on Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness’s proposal for an all-Ireland mechanism to assist survivors and victims of abuse. He said that the Taoiseach’s “failure even to write to deputy First Minister for over four months, speaks loudly of his attitude to this serious and sensitive issue.”
The Taoiseach earlier called for Adams to go to Gardaí with any information he has regarding sexual abuses cases. Mr Adams this evening responded that the Taoieach made the remark “in the full knowledge that I have already done this.”
Mr Adams also remarked that the Government has "cut funding to rape crisis centres and advocacy group.” He said "Mr Kenny is more interested in exploiting it to attack me and Sinn Féin. His remarks are both opportunistic and demeaning to his office."
Earlier today, speaking in Atlanta on his St. Patrick’s Day tour, Mr Kenny sais “the Sinn Féin party should get its act together,” in relation to its handling of sexual abuse cases.
“This is about the abuse of children, the rape of children,” he said.
“About paedophiles being moved repeatedly out of one area to another.
“Gerry Adams himself believes that Mr (Paudie)McGahon was raped, he was abused. He knows who did it. Consequences of that are clear, you bring that information to the gardai, to the authorities and bring it immediately,” Mr Kenny added.
Read more: Lunchtime’s analysis of what Gerry Adams knew about multiple instances of child abuse
