10 April 1997 Edition
Bruton sticks his oar in
John Bruton intervened in the Westminster election in the Six Counties on Wednesday when he called on people not to vote Sinn Féin saying it was a ``vote for the IRA''.
This came after Bruton in Leinster House had defended his Fine Gael colleague Enda Kenny who had attacked Albert Reynolds for shaking hands with Gerry Adams at the opening of the Féile an Phobail office in Belfast two weks ago. Kenny said this was a slight to SDLP candidate Joe Hendron but as Gerry Adams pointed out Hendron had been invited to the function but never turned up. Gerry Adams said that when he was MP for West Belfast Bruton had visited the constituency and had pointedly refused to meet him.
This came after Bruton in Leinster House had defended his Fine Gael colleague Enda Kenny who had attacked Albert Reynolds for shaking hands with Gerry Adams at the opening of the Féile an Phobail office in Belfast two weks ago. Kenny said this was a slight to SDLP candidate Joe Hendron but as Gerry Adams pointed out Hendron had been invited to the function but never turned up. Gerry Adams said that when he was MP for West Belfast Bruton had visited the constituency and had pointedly refused to meet him.