SINN Féin TD Sandra McLellan has insisted she will contest the Republic’s next general election despite mass resignations by party members in Co Cork.
Cork East Sinn Féin has been plunged into crisis after close to 70 members quit the party in just 48 hours this week.
The surprise resignations took place after party chiefs expelled Cobh-based councillor Kieran McCarthy and suspended his Mallow colleague Melissa Mullane on Monday following an internal probe.
The pair were both elected to Cork County Council last year.
Mr McCarthy has claimed that sanctions centred around the councillors’ desire to run in the 2016 general election, a move that could have put sitting TD Ms McLellan’s future in the Dáil in doubt.
He has also denied that the action taken against him was linked to a €6,500 loan taken out by his local cumann in 2014 for the local election campaign.
In a statement, Ms McLellan, one of only two female Sinn Féin TDs, last night said she was satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, insisting that she would be putting her name forward to seek re-election.
“There can be no doubt that the internal review in Cork East has been tough for party members. It has been long but it has been thorough and I believe that it has been fair.
“Nobody likes to lose party members but now is the time to move on from this whole episode and I am looking forward to getting on with the party’s work in the constituency and building for the future,” she said.
Earlier, Cork North Central TD Jonathan O’Brien played down reports that almost 70 people had resigned their membership following meetings in Fermoy and Cobh amid speculation that more would follow suit in the coming days.
Cobh cumann claimed on Wednesday night that 54 people had left Sinn Féin, citing the reason behind the decision as “the unjust, undemocratic and reprehensible manor in which our two comrades were and are being treated”.
The move followed reports that 15 members of the Fermoy cumann had resigned on Tuesday night while there were also reports of disquiet in Midleton and Carrigtwohill.
Mr O’Brien yesterday told Newstalk Lunchtime that he was “aware that there has been a number of people who have indicated publicly that they are going to resign”.
However he said that Sinn Féin had not received any formal resignations by yesterday morning, adding: “I do expect that we will get some in. I expect nowhere near 60 people resigning.”
Separately, the party said it planned to contact members in the troubled constituency over the coming days “to brief them on the situation and to ensure that they have the full information relating to the constituency review”.
