THE DUP is "bluffing" in its threat to walk away from its Tory agreement if the party is unhappy with Brexit proposals, Sinn Féin has said.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson on Thursday warned the party would break its deal to support the Conservative government at Westminster if any Brexit deal treats Northern Ireland differently from Britain.
It followed reported proposals to give Northern Ireland new powers to enable "customs convergence" with the Republic in areas such as agriculture and energy.
According to The Times, the plan had been put forward by British negotiators to address the Irish border issue when the UK leaves the EU.
In response, Mr Wilson said the Conservatives "can't rely on our vote" at Westminster "if there is any hint that in order to placate Dublin and the EU".
Yesterday, Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly dismissed the East Antrim MP's remarks.
"In my opinion he's bluffing. There is a great fear of a Labour Party getting in from the DUP, and I think if the bluff was called you would soon find out what exactly is behind it," he told the BBC.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil's Brexit spokesperson has dismissed unionist claims that the UK's departure from the EU is being exploited by Dublin to further Irish nationalism.
Stephen Donnelly, whose party has a confidence-and-supply deal with south's Fine Gael-led government, said: "I can assure you that not one time have I ever had a conversation or a nod or a wink or any indication whatsoever that Ireland is trying to use Brexit to further a nationalist agenda."
Speaking on BBC's Talkback programme, he added: "It is a false accusation and it is blinding people, I think some people in Northern Ireland and the DUP, to what Ireland is actually trying to do here."
The UK wants EU leaders at a summit on December 14-15 to agree to move towards trade negotiations, but the Republic says to support this it needs a commitment that there will be no return to a hard border.
The leaders of the remaining 27 EU states, including taoiseach Leo Varadkar, have a veto on triggering the second phase of talks, meaning the British government must be sure of support from Dublin.
Sinn Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill said Mr Varadkar should use the veto "if there is any attempt by the Tories to prioritise the DUP's ideologically-driven position over the needs of the people here".
Fine Fael's Simon Coveney, the south's foreign minister, said: "We can't be asked to leap into the dark by opening up phase-two discussions in the hope that these issues might be resolved."
But former First Minister David Trimble said Mr Coveney should "go back and rethink what he's saying".
He said the Republic should ask Brussels to change EU law to relieve it of "the obligation to put infrastructure on the Irish side of the border".
