Sinn Féin reach new low exploiting Covid diagnosis in Dáil vote

Fine Gael’s most senior TD, Bernard Durkan, has said Sinn Féin have displayed a terrible lack of decency and reached a new low in exploiting his Covid diagnosis for their advantage in the Dáil confidence motion on the Government.

Sinn Féin refused a pair in respect of Deputy Bernard Durkan, who has tested positive for Covid and remains in self-isolation as result.

Speaking from his home, Deputy Durkan said, “I was surprised and disappointed that Sinn Féin denied a fellow TD a voting pair in the Dáil this evening, given it was requested because I am self-isolating in line with public health guidelines.

“Not content with cynically wasting Dáil time with this show motion, Sinn Féin have reached a new low in exploiting a Covid diagnosis for their advantage in the vote.

“It also shows their hypocrisy on the matter of Covid. You cannot say you support public health guidelines as a party and then pull a stunt like this.

“It certainly was a strange decision given the fact that Covid has been such a menace to the population for the past two and a half years. I was surprised because obviously they feel Covid-19 doesn’t rank sufficiently high in the order of importance to warrant a pair, and I’m disappointed the issue isn’t sufficiently high in Sinn Féin’s order of priorities to merit the long-established tradition of facilitating a TD Member who is ill, by the offer of a pair. I note Sinn Féin didn’t even reference Covid in their speeches tonight.

“It’s possible of course that the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle in Belfast made the decision to override this Oireachtas tradition and take advantage of Covid in the Dáil vote, however the Sinn Féin leader here in Dublin should have done the right thing,” concluded Deputy Durkan.