Martin McGuinness calls Kenny’s claim of a split with Adams “laughable”

Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has called Irish leader Enda Kenny’s claim that Gerry Adams is preventing McGuinness doing a deal with the British as “laughable.”

Kenny stated in the Irish parliament that the Irish and British governments had put together a fair deal last week in Belfast.

Talks collapsed last weekend when British leader David Cameron and Kenny abruptly headed home after less than 24 hours saying a deal could not be reached.

Kenny stated “We put together a political paper on which agreement can be reached if you had the courage to face it down Deputy Adams.”

Speaking of the Northern Executive's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness Kenny stated “He wants to do a deal but you won’t let him.”

In a hard-hitting response McGuinness said the statement made by Kenny in the Dáil (Parliament) was “a threadbare attempt to excuse his failure and ineptitude in this process.”

“Not only is it completely untrue, it is laughable.”

“Sinn Féin is at one on standing by the agreements, standing by the institutions and standing up for the most vulnerable in our society, north and south.

“The joint paper tabled by the British and Irish governments allowed the British government to renege on key commitments including the inquiry into the state-sponsored murder of Pat Finucane and an Irish Language Act,” he said.

McGuinness said Kenny had also “abandoned the demand for full disclosure on the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and an inquiry into the massacre of civilians in Ballymurphy by the British government.”

“I am proud to be part of the Sinn Féin team seeking to reach agreement, however this task is made all the more difficult due to the failures of the current Irish government.”

Adams claimed that Cameron said “He would not be establishing an inquiry into the killing of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane as he’s obliged to do under the Weston Park agreement. Taoiseach you sat silently. Not one word did you utter on that issue.”

But attacking the Sinn Féin leader, Kenny said “The fundamental issues is that the executive and the assembly sought responsibility for devolved authority and got it in respect of welfare reform, in respect of pensions and child support.”

“But you are afraid to face the music and make a choice in respect of welfare reform. So you’re putting off the long day here.”