Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Talk to Breege Quinn, Austin Stack and the families of Columba McVeigh or Tom Oliver. They will tell you what Sinn Féin's truth is about.

Sinn Féin criticises the Government's response to Covid on a daily basis when in Northern Ireland where it is in power people are struggling with one of the highest rates of the virus in Europe. Its talks about honesty and integrity, when it had tens of thousands of pounds of Covid support money that was meant for small businesses lodged into Sinn Féin accounts. And then, when it was found out, it came up with a Father Ted excuse that the money was just resting in your account. It claims to be at 32-county party except, of course, when it comes to political donations.

Sinn Féin comes into the House and throws lots of mud about in the hope that some of it sticks. That is its modus operandias a party. It has introduced a Trump-like nastiness to Irish political discourse and then, when somebody speaks out, its social media army mobilises. Whether it is a politician, a journalist or a member of the public they are all subjected to vile abuse. Thankfully, there is a silent majority who see through Sinn Féin and they will see it tonight for what it is, a stunt which is about political opportunism rather than the national interest.

There is one politician who knows the meaning of the national interest and that is Leo Varadkar. When our country faced some of its darkest hours this year, Leo Varadkar was there. He led from the start and he led from the front. When it came to forming a government, unlike Sinn Féin he did not shirk his responsibility. That is because Leo Varadkar puts the national interest before party interest, something Sinn Féin cannot even comprehend. Its actions tonight once again prove this to be the case.

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