Mary Lou McDonald has criticised the “breathtaking hypocrisy” and “cynicism” of Sinn Féin’s political opponents as she defended the party’s handling of several scandals.
The Sinn Féin leader made the comments during a slot set aside in the Dáil chamber by the government to allow for statements on child protection.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee, junior minister Anne Rabbitte and government TDs questioned Sinn Féin’s handling of controversies that had arisen in recent weeks.
These include the former Sinn Féin press officer Michael McMonagle, 42, from Limewood Street, Derry, who admitted a series of offences, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
A separate controversy hit the party after it emerged that two other press officers, who have since resigned from the party, provided job references for McMonagle.
He went on to work for the British Heart Foundation in 2022.
It then emerged that Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and McMonagle were both at an event hosted by the British Heart Foundation in February 2023, but Ms O’Neill has said she was “not aware” he was present.
At the weekend, Laois-Offaly TD Brian Stanley resigned from the party in relation to the party’s handling of a complaint against him; the party has referred that complaint and a counter-allegation to the gardaí.
On Tuesday, former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile revealed he is the Sinn Féin member who quit the party after sending allegedly inappropriate text messages to a teenager.
Speaking in the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said that while she accepts legitimate questions need to be put to Sinn Féin in relation to the controversies, she criticised attempts to “exploit these issues for electoral advantage”.
Other opposition politicians also raised questions about the government parties’ approach to the controversies faced by Sinn Féin.
Ms McDonald told the Dáil: “I accept that these matters have provoked genuine public concern, and it is absolutely fair that legitimate questions are put to the party on how we handle these issues – and I have endeavoured today to bring clarity because there must be accountability for wrongdoing and consequences for wrongdoing.
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil say they’re not looking to make a political football out of child safety. People will make up their own minds on the sincerity of those statements.
“But there is one thing that I know for sure: attacks aren’t going to deliver progress, aren’t going to get us to where we need to be, won’t make one child safer, and won’t help any of us to do better.
“We will call out political opponents attempting to exploit these issues for electoral advantage. And ladies and gentlemen, your cynicism is matched only by your hypocrisy, which is truly, truly breathtaking.”
During the statements, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said it was “shameful” that concern about child protection matters handled by Sinn Féin was being used as a “political football”.
He said that all government speakers after Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman were “all about using it as a political football”.
“I think most people around the country are quite unhappy to see that this is how this issue is being treated,” he said, before accusing the government of failing to use budget surpluses to address child protection services.
Aontu TD Peadar Toibin, a former Sinn Fein TD, said that while the revelations were “quite shocking”, he was also “frustrated” that a child protection debate was only prioritised in response to Sinn Fein controversies.
“I feel the significant hypocrisy bouncing off the chairs currently throughout this chamber, I feel sick to my very stomach that we only get a debate on child protection when it is in the context of the political events that have happened in the last two weeks.
“I’ve looked around the chamber and the government benches, and I see people who haven’t been here in weeks, and I see them chomping at the political bits.
“People should not be fooled by this government and thinking that they are concerned for the wellbeing of children around this country.”
He added: “I would really ask the government on the day where they’re trying to occupy the high moral ground here, at the day when they’re politically sinking the knife into the opposition, I would ask them to look at themselves also, and I would ask them to look at the hundreds of people who are significantly damaged by the fact that this government will not act.”
Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae said that he was not comfortable with the protection of children being used as “some sort of vehicle for getting at Sinn Féin”.
“I’m no spokesman for Sinn Féin, but I don’t want to see this being used in the way that I feel it is being used. I don’t agree with that. It doesn’t sit well with me,” he said.
