Mary Lou McDonald, the head of Sinn Féin, has been charged by Taoiseach Simon Harris with “duping the people of Ireland,” reports The Mirror.
When he schedules the next general election, he insists that the scandals involving the main opposition party will not affect the outcome.
This is in spite of the intense conjecture at Leinster House that the election would be called as early as next Thursday.
In recent weeks, Sinn Féin has been embroiled in a scandal involving references given to Michael McMonagle, a former publicity officer who was being investigated for child sex offences, reports The Mirror.
The resignations of Brian Stanley and Patricia Ryan came next. Mr. Stanley said that the party had put him through an investigation that was similar to a “kangaroo court.”
Since then, Sinn Féin has stated that the Gardaí have been directed to an accusation and a counter-allegation made in the Stanley matter.
Former Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile resigned from the party when it was alleged that he had sent improper messages to a male 17-year-old, Ms. McDonald also informed the Dáil on Tuesday. Despite being forwarded to the PSNI, the situation was not looked into, reports The Mirror.
The party released two comments at the time of Mr. Ó Donnghaile’s departure, stating that he was leaving for health reasons.
The Taoiseach accused Ms. McDonald of “duping” people when he was asked in Brussels if her role as Sinn Féin leader was sustainable.
“We’ve been talking about Sinn Fein and the various issues in Sinn Fein, north and south now for quite a number of days, if not a number of weeks. I note the fact that the leader of Sinn Féin finally addressed a number of these in the Dáil yesterday. I also note that it’s not only Government members who are concerned with some of what they heard. Indeed, it’s many opposition politicians and opposition politicians and leaders of the opposition, including the leader of the Social Democrats [Holly Cairns], the leader of the Labor Party [Ivana Bacik] and others who are saying there are still unanswered questions and a need for more clarity,” Mr Harris said, reports The Mirror.
“I’m here trying to put at the very fore of our agenda, the safety of our peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon, the humanitarian catastrophe that is continuing to unfold in Gaza. 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 Oireachtas and the people of Ireland were duped. That much is clear,” he added, reports The Mirror.
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