Ireland ‘duped’ by Sinn Fein record on scandals, Taoiseach says

Sinn Fein “duped” Ireland’s public and parliament, the Irish premier said as he called for more clarity on a series of scandals dogging the party.

It comes as pressure increases on Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to steer her party through several controversies that have arisen in recent weeks, culminating in her giving a statement to the Dail on Tuesday afternoon.

These include Sinn Fein members providing references to a former press officer under investigation for child sex crimes; a party senator who sent allegedly inappropriate texts to a minor; and the resignation of a Sinn Fein TD following a “serious” complaint against him.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said there are “still unanswered questions and a need for more clarity” after Ms McDonald’s statement on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Wednesday, he said Government and opposition parties were “concerned” with Sinn Fein’s account of events.

At issue is Sinn Fein’s decision not to inform Ireland’s parliamentary body, the Oireachtas, about the the exact circumstances of former senator Niall O Donnghaile’s resignation.

While the initial reason cited was health concerns, it later emerged that Mr O Donnghaile had been removed from the party after sending allegedly inappropriate text messages to a teenager.

Ms McDonald said the party had not disclosed the full details over concerns for his mental health and safety.

Mr Harris said: “It’s for Deputy McDonald to decide what she wishes to do next in terms of further information that she wishes to provide.

“It’s clear the the Oireachtas and the people of Ireland were duped, that much is clear.”

In a reference to the next general election, Mr Harris added: “How the leader of Sinn Fein wishes to respond to that is for her, and ultimately how the people of Ireland wish to respond to Sinn Fein will be a matter for them to consider in due course.”

In Northern Ireland, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said that while the “grubbiness” of the controversies needed to be clarified, she indicated the powersharing institutions were not in immediate risk because of the “crisis” facing the party.

Ms Little-Pengelly said people are “fed up and sick of half-truths or not-truths or issues trickling out”.

She added: “If there’s one thing that we have learned right across Northern Ireland, and indeed right across Ireland, is this idea of cover-ups or not being truthful, the lack of transparency when it comes to the safeguarding of children is deeply unacceptable.

“We are supposed to have learned the lessons from the past in terms of some of those issues, and now it is really important that everybody steps up with full transparency, absolutely honestly and transparently answers the most serious questions.”

Her DUP party colleague Paul Givan said Sinn Fein’s handling of matters is undermining confidence in Stormont’s powersharing executive.

The Education Minister also called on First Minister Michelle O’Neill to come before the Assembly and the Stormont scrutiny committee to face questions on the matter.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein’s vice president, said that there was “complete due diligence” in how the party handled the O Donnghaile case.

She said that everything the party knows “is now on the public record”.

Ms O’Neill added that Ms McDonald’s leadership of the party was not in question despite the increased pressure.

Earlier, a row between a former Sinn Fein TD and the party deepened as Brian Stanley levelled the accusation that Ms McDonald had “abused Dail privilege”.

The Laois-Offaly TD accused the Sinn Fein leader of “a desperate attempt to shift the focus from her own party’s practices” on how it handled a complaint made against him.

At the weekend, Mr Stanley resigned from the party and said he would run as an independent after a Sinn Fein internal inquiry into a complaint against him.

The party referred that complaint and a “serious” counter-allegation to Irish police on Sunday.

Ms McDonald said the complainant against Mr Stanley was left “traumatised and distressed” by his actions.

However, Mr Stanley said that there was an attempt to damage his reputation and “shift the spotlight off” Sinn Fein.

“What was also revealing from her (Mary Lou McDonald’s) statement in the Dail, is the level of double standards that now operate and pertain in Sinn Fein,” he said.

Ms McDonald also addressed several other controversies that have embroiled the party in recent weeks.

This included former Sinn Fein press officer Michael McMonagle, 42, from Limewood Street, Londonderry, admitting to a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

It then emerged that two other press officers, who have since resigned from the party, provided job references for McMonagle after the party suspended him amid police inquiries.