According to Taoiseach Simon Harris, the people must be informed of all the details surrounding the accusation against former Sinn Féin member Brian Stanley, reports RTE.
Over the weekend, Mr. Stanley resigned from Sinn Féin, citing a defective inquiry process as the reason for his resignation.
Mary Lou McDonald, the head of Sinn Féin, said that she was not informed of the substance of the complaint “as per the rules and procedure” when she was informed that one had been filed, reports RTE.
There seem to be “clear contradictions, I suppose, between the statements of deputy Stanley and those of Mary Lou McDonald, but they’re a matter for her,” according to Mr Harris, who also called the party’s problems “serious.”
He added: “These issues are important, and I hope that’s the way in which they’ll be dealt with, just straight, straightforward answering of the direct questions. And today has actually added maybe another layer of confusion and lack of clarity,” reports RTE.
The public has a right to know the nature of the accusation, according to the Taoiseach.
“I think it would be very helpful if as much information as possible is put into the public domain, and if the questions that have legitimately been asked by yourselves in the media” are answered, he said, reports RTE.
Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, had already raised “serious questions” about Ms. McDonald’s ignorance of the complaint’s nature.
He said: “How is it you can be in an environment in which you become aware of a complaint against a very senior member of your party, somebody who’s chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, but you don’t know what that complaint itself is. That leads us to ask the question, did she not ask? And if not, why not? And if she did ask, but didn’t get an answer, why did that happen? These are really serious questions that cut to the leadership approach of a party that is still aspiring to lead a Government,” reports RTE.
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