Why is Sinn Féin trying to hide Gerry Adams’ involvement in their government formation talks? – Richmond

Newly elected Fine Gael TD, Neale Richmond, has questioned why Sinn Féin is trying to hide the involvement of Gerry Adams in its government negotiation talks. This approach, alongside the comments today by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that the Provisional Army Council still oversees Sinn Féin, underlines that the Party is controlled by shadowy figures despite the repeated denials of Mary Lou McDonald.

Deputy Richmond said: “Why is the Leader of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald trying to hide the fact that Gerry Adams is a member of her negotiating team for government formation?

“Sinn Féin publicly announced their negotiating team this week, but simply listed the sitting TDs and failed to mention the involvement of Gerry Adams as reported in the news today.

“Other members of the Sinn Féin negotiating team not named in their statement but reported by media today, include interesting characters such as Martin Lynch, who was sentenced to ten years in prison after being convicted of arms offences in 1982, and General Secretary Dawn Doyle who accompanied the controversial Conor Murphy to the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela last year.

“It seems there’s a lot Mary Lou McDonald doesn’t want to talk about these days. She remains curiously silent on the highly offensive anti- Semitic tweets issued by her party colleague Réada Cronin this week. A full and unequivocal apology should be issued by the Sinn Féin party on this matter. There is no place for anti-Semitism in Irish politics or public discourse.

“If Mary Lou McDonald is styling herself as the next Taoiseach, she needs to be transparent and open with the public. She repeatedly refutes the notion that shadowy figures are pulling the strings of the Sinn Féin party.

“Yet today we hear confirmation from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that An Garda Síochána are in agreement with the view of the PSNI that the Provisional army council still oversees both Sinn Féin and the IRA.

“Mary Lou’s attempt to hide the involvement of Gerry Adams and other savoury characters on her negotiating team for government, doesn’t do much to dispel this view of Sinn Féin.”