Sinn Fein has urged Leo Varadkar to stand up for Irish interests over Brexit rather than engaging in "nasty commentary".

In a speech at the Fine Gael presidential dinner on Saturday, the Taoiseach said he would sooner bring back wolves than share power with the party in Dublin.

"Decisions are made by those who turn up. Sinn Fein doesn't - either to the House of Commons or Stormont. I'd sooner bring back the wolves than let Sinn Fein into government," he said.

On Tuesday, the Green Party's Irish leader Eamon Ryan called for the reintroduction of wolves to help 'rewild' the Irish countryside.

Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill said: "This is a time when the Taoiseach needs to stand up for Irish interests in line with his commitments that nationalists in the north will never be left behind again.

"And it is clearly not a time for An Taoiseach to engage in petty political point scoring and the sort of insulting and nasty commentary usually associated with arch Brexiteers and the DUP."

Saying it was a time for "steady heads" and "leadership", Ms O'Neill also took aim at the Prime Minister's Brexit proposals.

She added: "The DUP continues to act against the interests of people in the north, the majority of whom voted to remain in the EU. Boris Johnson's reckless and dangerous Brexit plan has been rejected by all the political parties in the north and all our key business and civic sectors apart from the DUP.

"The British Tory government has abandoned any pretence of acting with the impartiality required by the Good Friday Agreement."

Earlier, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said of Mr Varadkar: "Instead of focusing on delivering for workers and families, he has chosen to attack Sinn Fein in comments unworthy of the office of Taoiseach."

Belfast Telegraph