Socialist split with Clare Daly deepens

The split in the Socialist Party grew more bitter as leader Joe Higgins indicated members might find it difficult to share common platforms with Clare Daly after she quit the organisation.

Mr Higgins again insisted the TD had resigned from the party due to disagreements over what he termed her “political connections” to disgraced independent TD Mick Wallace — something Ms Daly strongly denies.

After quitting the party, Ms Daly said she wanted to turn the broader United Left Alliance umbrella grouping in the Dáil into a more effective force.

However, Mr Higgins signalled that this would be unlikely due to the on-going controversy regarding Mr Wallace’s tax evasion.

“We would have to be honest and say that if the same issues continued to emerge, that would pose a problem for a majority of people within the ULA,” he told RTÉ.

Mr Higgins also said he would seek to return half the €120,000 leader’s allowance payment the Socialists get from the taxpayer for having two TDs elected at the last election.

Ms Daly had said that she wanted part of the allowance to be allocated to her to help with costs of being an independent TD.

Mr Higgins said that other parties in similar situations had retained their full allowance allocation, but the Socialists would ask for payments equivalent to having just one TD. Mr Higgins said the party might now have to let staff go as a result. The allowance helps fund four positions and organisational work.

He said he had “intensive” talks with Ms Daly in June and July regarding the Wallace issue and “regretted” her decision to leave.

Mr Wallace deliberately submitted false Vat returns to the Revenue for one of his construction companies which has resulted in the firm owing the State €2.1m.

Ms Daly said wants to “redesignate” herself as a ULA TD and has dismissed as “nonsense” the claims she quit the Socialists due to Mr Wallace.