Dáil address 'desperate attempt to shift focus' - Stanley

Former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley has accused party leader Mary Lou McDonald of abusing Dáil privilege in remarks she made about him.

The Sinn Féin leader told the Dáil yesterday evening that a complaint made against Mr Stanley was "very serious" and left the complainant "traumatised and distressed".

Mr Stanley contended that her remarks were a desperate attempt to shift the focus from Sinn Féin's own failed procedures, adding he rejected the contents of the complaint.

Mr Stanley could be asked to make a Dáil statement about the complaint which led to his resignation, according to Government sources.

The sources said that Deputy Stanley remains a member of the Dáil and such a statement, under the House privilege, would enable him to put facts on the record.

The Coalition believes that there is crucial information which is still outstanding, despite several days of statements.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty said it is a "stretch" to say party leader Mary Lou McDonald gave former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile a glowing reference when he resigned from the party last year after it emerged he had sent inappropriate text messages to two people.

Mr Stanley resigned from the party on Saturday night, likening Sinn Féin's internal disciplinary process to a "kangaroo court".

He contended it was "a desperate attempt to shift the focus from her own party's practices regarding a complaint against me, the contents of which I refute".

In a statement last night, Mr Stanley said Ms McDonald's remarks come "after days of inaccurate statements and insinuations from Sinn Féin - along with selective briefings delivered with the clear intention of damaging my reputation and to shift the spotlight off the party".

The Laois TD, who said he will contest the next election as an independent republican, added that "a garda investigation is ongoing on foot of serious matters I brought forward".

He also claimed that Ms McDonald's Dáil statement revealed what he termed "the level of double standards that now operate and pertain in Sinn Féin".

Mr Stanley said he wanted to state that "the complaint against me, and which was not deemed to be of a criminal nature, was lodged on the 26 July and not 7 days later as Sinn Féin claim".

He added: "I also state that it was deliberately kept from me that there was even a complaint. That I wasn't informed officially that there was a complaint until the 31 July and this followed a letter from my solicitor to Sinn Féin to demand official confirmation as to the existence of one.

"I again welcome the fact that this matter is now with An Garda Síochána".

Full information on Ó Donnghaile resignation not given to public, Oireachtas - Doherty

Mr Doherty said he accepts that full information around Mr Ó Donnghaile's resignation was not provided to the public and the Oireachtas.

However, he said that this decision was taken in the context of someone who has been through a mental health crisis and people now know why the full details were not provided.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Doherty said: "I accept that the full information was not provided, but I also accept that people now know why that full information was not provided."

Live Sinn Féin updates

He said that Mr Ó Donnghaile faced the full rigors of the party.

"It is important to state that Niall Ó Donnghaile has faced all of the rigors of the party ... he lost his job, he lost his position within the party, and he was referred for a criminal investigation to the PSNI and social services."

Mr Doherty said the PSNI had commended Sinn Féin in relation to its handling of the situation and the fact that the victim was content with the outcome of the investigation.

It is "a stretch" to say Ms McDonald gave a glowing reference on his resignation, he said, and she stated issues of fact.

He also said there is "absolutely no similarity whatsoever" between the case of Niall Ó Donnghaile and Michael McMonagle - who has admitted a number of sex offences - and any attempt to conflate the cases is disgraceful.

Mr Doherty also said that Mr Stanley is in a difficult spot and is "lashing out".

He said it would not be appropriate for the party to put details of Mr Stanley's complaint into the public, however he is free to come forward and be transparent if he so wishes, he added.

'I understand that Brian is obviously in a difficult spot. He is lashing out. We have not put the details of his complaint into the public record. It would not be appropriate. But it is for Brian to come forward and to be transparent, if he so wishes.

"But that's an issue for himself, that he now needs to question whether he wants to make it clear as to what the inquiry was, why he responded when he got the preliminary report from the party in the way that he did."

Mr Doherty said Ms McDonald was not made immediately aware of the Stanley complaint because there were no issues in terms of child protection.

It is important RTÉ does not conflate the cases, he stressed.

Stanley complaint 'very serious' - McDonald tells Dáil

Ms McDonald told the Dáil yesterday that she was unaware of the detail of the complaint against Mr Stanley until Saturday night when he issued a statement.

"The complaint made against Deputy Stanley is very serious. The complaint relates to an incident that took place in October 2023 and relates to Deputy Stanley’s personal behaviour leaving the complainant, in her words, traumatised and distressed," she said

Mr Stanley denies any misbehaviour.

Ms McDonald said Mr Stanley raised a "very serious" counter allegation against the complainant also relating to "the incident of October 2023".

The Dublin Central TD said Mr Stanley was advised to go to the gardai but had not done so.

She defended her party’s actions and internal disciplinary process saying they was conducted in a correct and fair manner.

Amid a welter of controversies engulfing Sinn Féin, Ms McDonald set out the party's position in a lengthy statement to the Dáil.

Mr Stanley is the second party TD to leave Sinn Féin in a week following the resignation of Kildare South TD Patricia Ryan.

And yesterday it also emerged that former party Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile had sent an inappropriate text message to a 17 year-old boy.