McDonald hit by fallout from Holohan slurs

Additional reporting by Cianan Brennan

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is under fire for failing to sanction a party councillor who subjected Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to a personalised attack about his race and family status.

While Mr Varadkar accepted an apology from councillor Paddy Holohan, questions have been raised about Ms McDonald’s failure to act in the wake of the slur against the Taoiseach.

Mr Holohan, a former mixed martial arts athlete, will not be sanctioned after Ms McDonald refused to punish him.

Mr Holohan was forced to apologise after he said in a podcast that he would rather have a “family man” running the country than Mr Varadkar.

He also suggested Mr Varadkar’s Indian heritage meant he was “separated” from Irish culture.

The comments sparked a backlash online, with many taking Mr Holohan’s comments as an attack on the fact that Mr Varadkar is gay and does not have children.

Responding yesterday, Mr Varadkar said the apology was “good enough” for him, but that a person’s background should not “matter in the kind of society that I believe in”.

At a campaign stop in Longford Town, Mr Varadkar said: “Anyone in Ireland from a minority background, whether mixed-race or gay or lesbian, has experienced some form of racism or homophobia in their lives.

“I’m fortunate that I haven’t received too much of it, I know it’s been a lot worse for a lot of other people.”

He said he hoped to run another cross-government campaign against racism.

“We need to raise awareness of the issue and make sure that we have a properly united country, whether you’re a man or a woman, no matter what background you come from, whether you’re a member of the Travelling community or not, or who you love,” he said.

“None of those things should matter in the kind of society that I believe in.”

Ms McDonald refused to suspend Mr Holohan, adding: “Our party is one of inclusivity, and Paddy has apologised for his remarks and that was the correct thing to do.”

This came after the councillor tweeted his apology, saying that his comments had been “misinterpreted”.

Nonetheless, questions have been raised about Ms McDonald’s refusal to act.

Fine Gael candidate in Dublin-Rathdown, Neale Richmond, told the Irish Examiner: “[Mr Holohan’s comments were] not a matter of interpretation, and his faux apology simply isn’t good enough.

“In any normal political party, Councillor Holohan would be subject to a disciplinary hearing and sanction. I see no reason why Mary Lou McDonald thinks she can wash her hands with this. It is a damning indictment of a supposed new Sinn Féin.”

DCU professor of politics Gary Murphy said: “There comes a time when these so-called apologies shouldn’t be accepted. This is one of these times.”