'Bizarre and childish': Sinn Féin TDs criticised over Special Criminal Court vote

A total of 90 TDs voted to extend the laws underpinning the Special Criminal Court on Wednesday night, but rather than vote against it, Sinn Féin TDs opted to leave the chamber. File picture

The decision by Sinn Féin TDs to leave the Dáil chamber during a vote on the Special Criminal Court has been branded as 'bizarre and childish' by other parties.

A total of 90 TDs voted to extend the laws underpinning the non-jury court on Wednesday night, but rather than vote against it, Sinn Féin TDs opted to leave the chamber.

A spokesperson for the party said the act was consistent with its policy.

Sinn Féin made it clear during the course of the Dáil and Seanad debates that we would not oppose the motion and that we would abstain. That is what we did."

Justice Minister Heather Humphreys was seeking to renew the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 for a further year. The legislation must be renewed every year and was passed last year when Sinn Féin, in a policy shift, abstained from the vote on the basis that the laws be reviewed.

Review

Earlier this year, former High Court and Court of Appeal judge Michael Peart was asked to chair the review of the Special Criminal Court and Ms Humphreys is expected to receive an interim report from his group in the coming weeks. The group is required to outline a timeline for the completion of its work, expected to take more than six months to complete.

This will be the first review in two decades of the court, which was established as a temporary measure 49 years ago. A yearly review of the laws is committed to in the programme for government.

Fianna Fáil TD James Browne called the walkout "bizarre and childish", while People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy called it "peculiar".

Fine Gael Junior Minister Patrick O'Donovan said Sinn Féin's actions showed they "did not stand for security in Ireland".

It is 25 years since Detective Garda Jerry McCabe and journalist Veronica Guerin were both gunned down in a horrific summer in 1996. Those culpable were brought before the Special Criminal Court.

“Twenty-five years since their murders, Sinn Féin TDs choose to walk out of our national parliament when a vote on extending the Special Criminal Court comes before the TDs elected by the people of this country.

“What does that say? Sinn Féin purport change but in reality they are the same party they were 25 years ago. They don’t stand with this country or its people."