Humphreys and Carthy call for Dukes to apologise to Border people

QUINN COUNTRY

A local Fine Gael minister and Sinn Féin TD have unusually found themselves on the same side in condemning Alan Dukes for his controversial remarks about people living on the border.

Deputy Matt Carthy called on Mr Dukes to withdraw and apologise for his remarks, made on the RTÉ documentary Quinn Country, in which he claimed that border people have violence ‘in their blood’ and ‘turn to violence more quickly than the rest of us’.

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture added that the comments of Mr Dukes were indicative of prevalent attitudes within some sections of Fine Gael, and he called on that party’s representatives to join demands that he withdraw and apologise for the comments.

“Alan Dukes’ comments about our community were completely unacceptable and he should withdraw and apologise for them immediately," said Deputy Carthy.

“He has caused a great deal of hurt and offence and anger.

“The fact that he has doubled down on his comments today is indicative of prevalent attitudes, particularly within some sections of Fine Gael. It goes some way towards explaining the fact that our communities have been abandoned by successive Fine Gael governments.

“The border communities are made up of hard-working people who are proud of who they are and where they are from, and they will not stand for such disgraceful demonisation."

He added: “We will not accept being looked down on by Alan Dukes or anyone else.”

He challenged Minister Heather Humphreys who also represents Cavan and Monaghan to join in demands that Alan Dukes withdraw and apologise for his disgraceful, albeit telling, remarks.

Minister Humphreys, who is from a border village, promptly did at 2.30pm describing the comments as "wrong" and saying her party's former leader should apologise.

Atrocious

Earlier today Deputy Brendan Smith had described the comments as "outrageous" and "completely dismissive of the overwhelming majority of decent people in counties Cavan and Monaghan and the wider border region who abhor violence of any kind and stood against it over decades".

“I am, like many others in the Cavan-Monaghan region, outraged by the ill-informed comments made by Mr. Dukes," said Fianna Fáil's Deputy Brendan Smith. "What he said last night is the very definition of tarring everyone with the same brush. To say that border people turn to violence more easily than anyone else is an atrocious comment to make."