Ó Clochartaigh leaves Sinn Féin over “unacceptable behaviour”

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has announced his resignation from Sinn Féin due to inaction by the party in dealing with ongoing disciplinary issues locally and serious concerns over the future of the party in his constituency.

Speaking from Leinster House today, the Galway-based Senator said: “We have had serious breaches of the Sinn Féin Code of Conduct in Galway West going unpunished and unacceptable behaviour against me and a number of other members locally, from a small number of ruthless, unscrupulous and ambitious individuals going back a number of years now, which has no place in a modern political party.

“I, with a sizeable number of other dissatisfied members have sought to deal with all these issues through the appropriate channels – locally, regionally and nationally. We have taken them as high as the Ard Chomhairle and the Office of the President and now have no other internal avenue to have them addressed within the party. Discussions around this have continued up to this morning, but the party’s insistence even today to support wrongdoers, to ignore misconduct and to plough ahead with a selection convention, which in my view has a pre-determined outcome, before serious disciplinary issues are properly dealt with, is the last straw.

“I am very proud of my record as a Sinn Féin Senator and as a representative of the people of the Galway West – South Mayo constituency, which I think speaks for itself. I am extremely disappointed that I and others locally, have been let down by a party which we have worked so hard to build up and given great service to.

“I have huge respect and admiration for the vast majority of the party’s hard-working, dedicated and truly Republican members and elected representatives. But I believe that the high standards we demand of organisations we hold to account on a daily basis, have sadly not been matched within the party itself, despite our best efforts.

“I hope that Sinn Féin leadership will seriously reflect on my decision and bring in the necessary reform to deal appropriately with such nasty behaviour from now on in a much more decisive manner, which will protect members trying to do the right thing who are being subjected to wholly inappropriate behaviour of any kind.”