Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald’s account that she did not know the nature of a complaint made against Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley “is not really credible”, Paschal Donohoe has said.
The Minister for Public Expenditure said that it would be “appropriate” for details about Mr Stanley’s resignation to be given to the Public Accounts Committee that he chaired.
An internal party disciplinary processes was set up to investigate a complaint made against Mr Stanley, a TD for Laois-Offaly since 2011, at the end of July by a longstanding member of the party.
Mr Stanley announced his resignation from Sinn Féin on Saturday and said he would run as an independent in the next general election.
Sinn Féin said the complaint and a “serious” counter-allegation were referred to An Garda Siochana on Sunday.
Speaking on RTÉ radio on Monday, Ms McDonald said she was not aware of the specifics of the complaint until after Mr Stanley resigned, claiming the whole investigatory process had been at “arm’s length to the party”.
Asked about the issue, Mr Donohoe said that while he understands legal “sensitivities”, it was “imperative” that the party was transparent.
He said Ms McDonald should clarify how she could be aware of the complaint but not aware of the nature of it.
“Sinn Féin need to explain how their leader can claim that she was aware of an issue but didn’t know what the issue was. How can that be credible?” he said on Monday.
“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 too? These are really serious questions that cut the leadership approach of a party that is still aspiring to lead a government.
“You can be impartial and informed at the same time, being aware of an issue doesn’t mean you undermine the impartiality of how that issue is being dealt with, and the defence that ‘I didn’t know’ isn’t really credible if making the case for a different way in how politics can be conducted.”
He added: “At the same time, why is it that only as this matter was about to become public, that it was finally (referred) to Gardaí. Why did that not happen in any of the other weeks leading up to the developments of this weekend?
“Is it because Sinn Féin believed their own party procedures are more important?”
Mr Donohoe said that members of the Public Accounts committee had indicated that they want the “key facts” about the issue before the expected decision by Sinn Féin to remove Mr Stanley as chairperson.
“That appears to me to be a very appropriate way before a final decision is made,” he said.
He added that statements due to be made in the Dail on Tuesday afternoon would be vital for transparency.
“It provides a very important opportunity for full transparency to be brought to this issue and for the very serious questions at the heart of this to be answered.”
