Sinn Féin’s Northern Irish leader Michelle O’Neill has defended the party’s leader Mary Lou McDonald, stating that there are “no questions” concerning her leadership. McDonald has come under criticism for the party’s decision not to reveal the suspension of former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile for inappropriate texts to a teenage boy last year. Despite pressure on her party over safeguarding issues in recent weeks, O’Neill said she was “very confident” the party has handled the situation appropriately and is “trying to be as transparent and open and frank” as possible.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly commented that the crisis involving Sinn Féin was within the party itself, and that the party needed to address the “cloak of secrecy” under which it operates. Speaking in Brussels, Taoiseach Simon Harris noted that Ireland’s public and parliament had been “duped” by Sinn Féin, adding that the leaders of Sinn Féin would have to determine how to respond to this situation.
Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty asserted that the party had not provided “full information” about the resignation of Ó Donnghaile and highlighted the importance of safeguarding children, stating that Sinn Féin needed to answer “very serious questions”. Ó Donnghaile, a former member of Sinn Féin, confirmed in a statement that he had sent an inappropriate text message to a 17-year-old youth member of the party.
Former Irish Labour senator Máiría Cahill, who claims she was raped by an IRA man as a teenager and that Sinn Féin and the IRA tried to conceal this, criticised the party’s handling of the allegations. Cahill was present in the Irish Dáil during the statements made on safeguarding issues. She stated that she was “disturbed” by Sinn Féin’s recent behaviour and that the party had a responsibility to conduct itself properly
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