Tag Archives: Sinn Fein

Great detective work.

Bobby Storey funeral: Mourners asked to attend police interviews (BBC)

PSNI identifies number of ‘potential’ breaches of COVID-19 regulations at veteran republican’s funeral (NewsLetter)

“Claims by Sinn Féin to be wholly committed to achieving Irish reunification through peaceful methods are brought into question on a regular basis. The continuing sale of memorabilia such as this brings further questions.

“The establishment of a United Island Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach under this Government will allow these questions to be considered with the respect they deserve.”

Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery-Kearney

Name that truck, anyone?

Sale of IRA badges on Sinn Féin Website is a glimpse behind their party mask (Fine Gael)

Thanks RanelaghPete

This afternoon.

The Dáil at the Convention Centre, Dublin.

Questioned about the public health system being possibly overwhelmed this Winter, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar adopts the traditional route and blames Sinn Féin.

Never gets old.

Meanwhile…

Fight!

Ah here.

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin launching his party’s bill to ban co-living.

The bill aims for people  to be able to secure good quality studio apartment of 45 square metres for €900 a month.

“People shouldn’t live in shoeboxes, ” he told Newstalk Breakfast (above) earlier.

Leah Farrell/Rollingnews

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald

This morning.

Meanwhile…

Anyone?

Rollingnews

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald

This morning.

On RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Sarah McInerney.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that tourists should be told “don’t come this season” and that anyone arriving in the country should face mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The island of Ireland cannot be left exposed and it was not enough to accept “on a wing and prayer” that people were self-quarantining.

Ms McDonald said that experts need to come up with alternatives and she accepted that tests produced false negatives. “I was that person myself,” she said.

For epidemiological purposes the island of Ireland was a single unit, she said.

FIGHT!

Mary Lou McDonald suggests telling tourists ‘don’t come this season’ (Irish Examiner)

Rollingnews

From left: Mary Lou McDonald, Gerry Adams and Michelle O’Neill at IRA veteran Bobby Storey’s funeral

“No family’s grief is more important than another’s.

I am particularly concerned that grieving families who have lost a loved one during the pandemic had their heartache compounded by the necessary restrictions which were in place at that time.

Not being able to have their family and friends’ support to help them through was hugely difficult.

I am also concerned that those grieving families are experiencing more hurt over recent days. I am sorry for that.”

Sinn Féin’s Northern Ireland Deputy Minister Michelle O’Neill.

O’Neill ‘sorry’ for hurt caused over Storey funeral gathering (RTÉ)

Pic: BBC

UPDATE:

Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy; Fine Gael Senator Barry Ward on The Tonight Show on Wednesday

This morning.

On Today with Sarah McInerney‘s The Gathering slot, the guests were discussing Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill’s attendance at the funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey in Belfast

Ms O’Neill had earlier issued a statement to say sorry for any hurt caused by her attendance.

During The Gathering, Ms McInerney and Dun Laoghaire Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill had this exchange:

Sarah McInerney: “…there have been large funerals. I saw [Sinn Féin TD] Matt Carthy, for example, on the Tonight show talking about Garda Horkan’s funeral.”

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: “The funeral of a serving guard killed in the line of duty?”

McInerney: “He was raising that as an issue, as a comparison, yes.”

Carroll MacNeill: “Yes, and the Minister for Justice attended that and that was, and but the Taoiseach didn’t attend it and the President didn’t attend it. And that’s a massive state funeral and one of the most tragic and serious things that can happen in this state. And you saw the outpouring from people all across the country, marking it in their own private ways, socially distanced Garda stations all around the country, a moment’s silence. Not even the Taoiseach, not even the president at those very unique moments where there’s a state funeral of that kind attended because it wasn’t appropriate to do so.

“There’s no way, that the nature of that funeral, the murder of a serving Garda, in the line of duty can be compared to the murder of what Mary Lou McDonald described as her friend. Totally different. Totally different.”

McInerney: “I want to bring the others in on this. But I don’t know, do you want to respond to that Martin?”

Martin Kenny: “Look, I mean, I understand there are people who are grieving and people who have been hurt through the pandemic and I understand how they are, you know, somewhat annoyed in regard to that. But there’s also a very political element to this. Our political opponents are jumping on this and indeed, you know, Dublin unionists and Fine Gael are all over this and have been for the past week and we’re used to that and we will deal with it.”

McInerney: “Ok, briefly, Jennifer.”

Carroll MacNeill: “The reason that this is a political holding to account of Sinn Fein, Sinn Fein don’t like that. Sinn Fein aren’t used to that. But if you want to be in Dail Eireann and participate as the leader of the Opposition, as you say, you should probably get used to being held to account as a normal political party. We in Fine Gael have said that we don’t believe you are a normal political party.

Kenny: “We’re quite used to it.”

Carroll MacNeill: “But if you want to engage in that way then you are…”

Talk over each other

Kenny: “More people in this country voted for us than voted for your party and they believe it.”

Meanwhile, on Virgin Media One’s Tonight show on Wednesday night, Mr Carthy appeared with newly appointed Fine Gael Senator Barry Ward when Ms O’Neill’s attendance at Mr Storey’s funeral was spoken about.

At the outset, Mr Carthy criticised Fine Gael and the DUP for attempting to score “political points”.

Matt Carthy: “There have been lots of gatherings at funerals, some of which social distancing wouldn’t have been as robust as you would have liked. And I’ve seen some people using those in response to attacks by Fine Gael and others in relation to Bobby Storey’s funeral. I would ask them to stop because I think it’s really unfair on the families concerned. I think it’s actually really, really lousy…as people, you know, politics, fair game. We’re, as a party, are used to getting attacked for all sorts of reasons but to actually use someone’s funeral…”

Later

Ward: “Leo Varadkar didn’t even attend the funeral of Detective Horkan in Castlerea…”

Carthy: “But two government ministers…”

Ward: “Yeah, the Minister for Justice appropriately did. But normally, at a State funeral, the Taoiseach would go and he stepped back…rather than taking the media opportunity that Mary Lou and those did….”

Listen back to Today with Sarah McInerney here

Watch back the Tonight show in full here

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald leads out her party’s new front bench. To wit:

Party Leader Mary Lou McDonald
Deputy Party Leader and Spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty
Spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform Mairéad Farrell
Enterprise, Trade and Employment Louise O’Reilly
Health David Cullinane
Housing, Local Government and Heritage Eoin Ó Broin
Agriculture and the Marine Matt Carthy
Justice Martin Kenny
Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands Claire Kerrane
Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport Darren O’Rourke
Media, Tourism, Art, Culture and Sports Imelda Munster
Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Kathleen Funchion
Education Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Higher Education, Innovation and Science Rose Conway-Walsh
Foreign Affairs & Defence John Brady

Chief Whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Úrlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíne agus Cultúir Aengus Ó Snodaigh

FIGHT!

Earlier: Worth A Troy

First time Sinn Féin TDs feature on front bench (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…O’Neill rejects calls to step aside during social distance inquiry

Rollingnews

 

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin (above) calling for rent write downs as the results of a Renters Survey carried out by the party during lockdown are revealed.

Worried renters facing massive debt burden once lockdown ends (Dublin Live)

RollingNews