Dáil suspended three times in row between Sinn Féin and Joan Burton

The Dáil was suspended three times amid a row between Sinn Féin TDs, the Government and Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett.

The House was initially suspended during Opposition leaders’ questions when Sinn Féin claimed that Tánaiste Joan Burton had asserted that the late Domhnall O’Lubhlaí, against whom allegations of sexual abuse of young boys has been made, was a prominent republican.

Mr O Lubhlaí was a prominent figure in the Irish language movement and founder of Coláiste na bhFiann in Ros Muc, Connemara.

The matter had been raised by Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, who referred to the case of Gearóid O Concubhair, who says he was sexually attacked by him in the 1970s while attending the college.

Ms Burton, who said the matter was raised without any notification, told Ms McDonald she was not familiar with the detail of the Garda file on the case when the Sinn Féin deputy leader said the matter was with Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald for four months.

Ms Burton said Ms McDonald “and people in Sinn Féin would be very well aware of the fact that Mr O Lubhlaí was identified for a long period of time, very closely, as a very significant and important republican figure”.

She said that in any reference she had heard about him, his connections with the republican movement were strongly identified.

He had been characterised in previous media reports as a“paedophile rapist on a very significant scale”, she added.

Furious response

This remark provoked a furious response from Sinn Féin deputies who called on the Tánaiste to withdraw what they claimed was an allegation linking Sinn Féin to him.

When Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh refused to resume his seat, Mr Barrett adjourned the House.

When it resumed, Mr Barrett said that during the suspension he had asked the Clerk of the Dáil to check the records and no allegation was made against the Sinn Féin party.

“The remarks were made against the ’republican movement’”, he said. “There are other parties in this House which have ‘republican party’ after their name.”

When Mr O Snodaigh continued to insist that the Tánaiste withdraw the remark, Mr Barrett again adjourned the Dáil.

Third suspension

When proceedings resumed after the second adjournment, Mr Ó Snodaigh got to his feet and said Ms Burton should withdraw her “defamatory remark”.

Mr Barrett called Independent TD Catherine Murphy who was scheduled to be the next speaker in Opposition leaders’ questions. Mr Ó Snodaigh said he did not wish to delay the work of the House but he wanted to be heard on the issue.

By then, the exchanges were barely audible as Mr Ó Snodaigh was heckled from the Government benches. After some further exchanges, Mr Barrett said he was again adjourning the House.

Row defused

The row has since been defused. When the House resumed after the third adjournment, Mr Ó Snodaigh said the Tánaiste’s remarks would be referred by the party to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

The Ceann Comhairle then called on Ms Murphy who asked a question.