Sinn Féin to remove 38 rules on how do deal with discipline
The move is on foot of legal advice, it was stated yesterday.
According to its conference programme, the party’s governing council, or ard chomhairle, is seeking to remove a series of disciplinary powers from the Sinn Féin rulebook and replace them with a condensed set of new rules.
The move comes in the wake of the embittered manner in which former Cork East TD Sandra McLellan decided to leave politics and not contest the general election.
Ms McLellan was allegedly bullied out of her position by party colleagues.
Sinn Féin was shocked when Ms McLellan announced her intention not to contest the election for the party. She said that since becoming a TD, her efforts “were consistently and persistently undermined by a small number in the constituency that called themselves members of Sinn Féin”.
Ms McLellan said she was not prepared to “risk this for another term” and therefore would not be putting her name before the Sinn Féin Cork East selection convention.
The party denied that the disciplinary rule changes are related to the McLellan saga, claiming they are part of an ongoing process to professionalise their grievance structures.
Among the sections being removed are ones relating to matters of bullying, incompetence, and negligence involving “ordinary members” as well as members of the ard chomhairle, comhairle ceantair, and cumann.
In total, the number of specific measures in line to be axed are 38, to be replaced by just eight.
Under the proposed rules, an investigation committee will be established in order to hear complaints and “to recommend disciplinary action, where it considers necessary, against members of the party”.
Party chairs will also now have the power to suspend a member while the matter is considered by the investigation committee.
Waterford TD David Cullinane defended the move, saying it aims to professionalise the party’s structures.
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