Sinn Féin’s HR debacle to face election test

Laois will see a showdown between former Sinn Féin TD, now independent republican Brian Stanley, and the party’s new candidate, Maria McCormack, after a disastrous internal inquiry erupted into the open in the midlands county, just weeks before the 26 County general election.

There were angry exchanges between party leader Mary Lou McDonald and Mr Stanley this week after he announced he would seek to retain his Dáil seat. He had been barred from being selected as the Sinn Féin candidate by the inquiry before sensationally quitting the party late last month.

Mr Stanley, who accused Sinn Féin of operating a ‘kangaroo court’ against him, has now accused Ms McDonald of handling the matter relating to him “appallingly”. He said that she has not been in touch with him since the quasi-judicial party panel backed allegations of misconduct against him by a woman who admitted attempting to blackmail him.

Mr Stanley said: “Sinn Féin are not judge, jury and they are certainly not executioner.” He said he was “actually delighted” that Sinn Féin referred the disciplinary matter around him to the gardaí.

“I entered into a confidential process - that’s what I was told by Sinn Féin.

“Not everybody kept it confidential, and Sinn Féin certainly didn’t - but I did, I was bound by that, the party didn’t do it,” he said.

Mr Stanley said that he had spoken to Gardaí police about “serious matters”, but added that “there is no investigation into me”.

Mr Stanley made the comments while speaking to reporters in Portlaoise, where he was one of the local dignitaries invited to a sod turning ceremony for a new Garda station.

He said he had been in two minds about running as an Independent candidate in the general election, but had been convinced by family and colleagues.

Constituents and former members of Sinn Féin had told him that he “should run, saying that it’s important and they felt I was a very effective local TD”, he said.

“As chair of the Public Accounts Committee they felt I was doing a good job and that I should continue at it.

“My family have encouraged me as well and were pushing me to go again, so for better or for worse I’ve thrown my hat into the ring.

“It’ll be an uphill battle, I understand that, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

Asked if it was a difficult decision to walk away from Sinn Féin, Mr Stanley said he was “not one to look in the rear-view mirror”.

“I think you should always look forward. I’m a republican and centre-left in my beliefs. There’s a number of progressive Independents in the Dáil and if I’m lucky enough to be re-elected to the Dáil I will try to work with those Independents,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has selected Portlaoise resident Maria McCormack to contest the seat, which Ms McDonald said “belongs to Sinn Féin”.

Speaking at the selection convention, Ms McDonald said: “In this constituency people voted for Sinn Féin in 2011, 2016 and 2020 because they believed in the better future we can have with a Sinn Féin Government and I believe that they will vote in 2024 and elect the first woman TD for Sinn Féin in Laois.”

“Voting for Sinn Féin’s Maria McCormack is the best way for the people of Laois to call time on governments led by Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, and to grasp a historic opportunity to elect a new government for working people led by Sinn Féin,” she said.

The field also includes Mary Hand of Aontú, a party which formed following an unrelated split in Sinn Féin five years ago.

Ms McDonald hinted at “bad behaviour” by her former colleague, who has been a party activist and representative for some 30 years. She insisted the party’s handling of the debacle was fair and that the party’s rule book was “applied without fear, without favour”.

“The rules apply, whether you’re a grassroots member or a parliamentarian with decades of service. That’s what happened,” she added.

“Brian Stanley’s bad behaviour is a matter for him. I’m not responsible for that and I will not take responsibility for that.

“What I am responsible for as the leader of the party is the investigation and inquiry into a complaint such as that when it’s made, and it was done by the book.”

Urgent Appeal