SF: Action against two councillors nothing to do with election ambitions

Sinn Féin is insisting its decision to expell one councillor and suspend another has nothing to do with their intentions to contest election conventions.

The party released a statement on the issue this evening.

Kieran McCarthy from Cobh in Cork (pictured) was expelled from the party this weekend, while Melissa Mullane from Mallow has been suspended for a year.

According to Sinn Féin, the actions follow a review of the party's structures in the constituency of East Cork.

However the party is refusing to say why the action was taken against cllrs McCarthy and Mullane, saying the report and its recommendations were "internal to Sinn Féin".

Councillors McCarthy and Mullane had both expressed an interest in running in the next General Election.