Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has told Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty that he should apologise for attending the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey.
The Fine Gale leader made his comments in the Dail this afternoon.
The Gaoth Dobhair TD was among a number of the party’s representatives who appeared at the service.
Varadkar welcomed Stormont Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill’s acknowledgement that the controversy undermined the public health messaging around coronavirus.
He said: “While I can understand people paying their respects in the streets, I can’t understand or accept the political rally in Milltown cemetery.
“It was a political rally in the middle of a pandemic organised by Sinn Fein and other republicans
“This was no graveside oration. Mr Storey was cremated on the other side of town.
“It was a political rally in the middle of a pandemic organised by Sinn Fein and other republicans.”
He said the Donegal Deputy challenged Deputy Doherty to apologise.
He said: “Deputy Doherty, you spoke at that rally, and I want to know now if you are going to apologise for that and whether you will be held to account for it?
“Will anyone in Sinn Fein be resigning as a consequence of this? Or do you believe that Sinn Fein republicans are some sort of higher caste that don’t have to obey the same laws as anyone else and don’t have to follow the public health guidance?”
Mr Doherty did not acknowledge his comments, which prompted Mr Varadkar to suggest a debate on the incident.
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