Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party stands with the Special Criminal Court against the threat of organised crime as she faced questioning about former councillor and convicted criminal Jonathan Dowdall.
She was speaking in the Dáil after Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy said there were “many serious questions unanswered” by Ms McDonald about Dowdall, who he described as her “political protege-turned-gangland torturer”.
Dowdall, a former Sinn Féin councillor, is serving a four-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.
He was a key State witness in the unsuccessful case against Gerry “The Monk” Hutch in the non-jury Special Criminal Court.
Mr Brophy asked a series of specific and targeted questions towards Ms McDonald on her relationship with Dowdall.
“We’re talking about a gentleman who was involved in organised crime at the same time he was a public representative for a political party.
“We are talking about somebody who the leader – who seeks high office in this country – of a political party, went out of her way to facilitate him remaining within her party.”
Mr Brophy’s contributions to the Dail were criticised as straying from the topic by the Ceann Comhairle and Leas-Ceann Comhairle.
“This is a provision for statements, not questions and answers. So we’re not going to turn it into a circus,” Sean O Fearghail said.
In her debate time, Ms McDonald responded to Mr Brophy: “Sinn Féin stands 100 per cent with law-abiding citizens, with the members of an Garda Siochana, with the court system – all of it, including the Special Criminal Court – against the threat of organised crime.”
Ms McDonald then attempted to distance herself from Dowdall.
“Much has been said in the aftermath of the case at the Special Criminal Court, which concluded this week.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let me say again that Jonathan Dowdall had no business in Sinn Féin. He shouldn’t have been in our party.
“He joined in June 2013. He left in February 2015. But it was in March 2016 that his criminal activity was discovered.”
She said he went on to commit heinous crimes.
“He and he alone is responsible for his actions. He has been convicted before the courts.
“If I had known for a second what he would be capable of, what he would go on to do, he wouldn’t have been near me.
“He wouldn’t have been near Sinn Féin, and he certainly would not have been running for public office.”
Fine Gael TD’s Fergus O’Dowd and Alan Farrell also used portions of their time to raise Dowdall’s criminality, including his conviction for false imprisonment which involved torture.
During the approximately three-and-a-half scheduled hours of debate on organised crime, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon criticised the use of Dail time “to take shots” and “settle vendettas”.
Earlier, Sinn Féin said it anticipates to support legislation to “modernise” Offences Against the State Acts.
The Oireachtas has to annually renew certain sections of the Offences Against the State 1998 and the Criminal Justice Act 2009.
These sections relate to laws around membership of an unlawful organisation, inferences that can be drawn and used as evidence, direction of an unlawful organisation, as well as penalties for certain offences.
Sinn Féin has abstained from votes on extending the Special Criminal Court which tries such offences.
The party’s justice spokesperson Pa Daly told the Dáil that it hopes the legislation can be modernised.
“Our courts need to have all the powers and resources they need to fight 21st century criminals.
“Every year, Fine Gael make a virtue of renewing decades old legislation and everyone accepts this is an outdated means of dealing with criminals of 2023.”
Mr Daly expressed support for an ongoing review of the Offences Against the State Acts.
“This review is ongoing and is due for report soon, according to what the Taoiseach said on Tuesday,” he said.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it is hoped the review will be published before June and the vote on extending the Special Criminal Court.
“We anticipate that its recommendations will include modernisation, and we expect to support the new legislation that it recommends in order to robustly dismantle criminal gangs,” Mr Daly said.
Minister for Justice Simon Harris said the convictions on Monday of two people involved in the Regency Hotel murder are an example of the non-jury Special Criminal Court “working and carrying out its duties”.
“I do want to send out a very strong message today: Justice always prevails. You can run. You can try hide.
“But An Garda Siochana will never stop pursuing and dismantling the criminal gangs causing fear, violence and murder across this country. ”
Mr Harris said there are parties in the Dáil who “abscond” when votes on the Special Criminal Court arise.
“Those who doubt its role in the criminal justice system need to be questioned on what their alternative is.
“There are trials which would not have taken place before the Special Criminal Court had some parties in this House been in Government.
“They would have exposed men and women on juries in gangland and paramilitary trials and in the direct eye line of criminal gangs and subversives.
“They would put people at risk – and weaken our criminal justice system.”
