Councillor quits Sinn Féin, citing bullying

Incoming Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is facing mounting pressure to address bullying in her party after the resignation of yet another elected member.

Dublin City councillor Noeleen Reilly resigned from the party with immediate effect yesterday, citing bullying, assault, and verbal abuse.

It follows a decision made by the Sinn Féin ard comhairle over the weekend to suspend her for six months for “orchestrating a vicious bullying campaign against a fellow female party councillor on social media”.

Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis also accepted a censure from his party over comments he made about Ms Reilly.

In the wake of the party’s decision, Ms Reilly took to social media to claim she had been bullied and assaulted.

In a statement yesterday, the party said it had told her “on numerous occasions” that she should report the alleged incident to gardaí.

Ms McDonald, who is set to become Sinn Féin president this weekend, is under pressure to deal with the situation, which, it was claimed, has “gone beyond political”.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin said revelations about feuding Sinn Féin factions in Dublin North West suggest the matter may be one for An Garda Síochána rather than the party’s national executive.

“The seriousness of the claims and, indeed, photographic evidence of an alleged assault on a now former Sinn Féin councillor which had been referred to Deputy Mary Lou McDonald are such that the issue should be referred to the gardaí,” he said.