Sinn Féin: Coveney no confidence motion is not a political stunt

Mary Lou McDonald says the issue of Simon Coveney and the appointment of Katherine Zappone 'goes to the heart' of politics in Ireland

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD

The Sinn Féin leader has denied that a motion of no confidence in Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is a political stunt, saying that the issue "goes to the heart" of politics in Ireland.

Sinn Féin will move the motion when the Dáil returns tomorrow after the summer break, aiming to remove Mr Coveney from office over his handling of the appointment of Katherine Zappone as the UN Special Envoy on Freedom of Expression.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald speaks to media on Sir John Rogersons Quay in Dublin on Tuesday as the parliamentary party meets in advance of the Dáil return. Photo: Damien Storan. 1

Speaking in Dublin as Sinn Féin met for its think-in, Mary Lou McDonald said that the party believes that the Zappone affair spoke to the way that the Government does business.

"I think, increasingly, the public's impatience with crony politics has been evident. People know that you can't have effective policies when you have a political culture that it's all about insiders and who you know and who you rub shoulders with.

"So, this isn't, you know, this isn't a minor issue: in fact, it goes to the heart of how we're governed and of what our expectations are of people in leadership and people in public office."

Ms McDonald said that Sinn Féin is tabling the motion because" the Taoiseach did not do his job" by failing to censure Mr Coveney.

Later in her keynote address to the parliamentary party, Ms McDonald accused Mr Coveney of "being caught red-handed" and of "covering his tracks". She said that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe "can't get their stories straight on who knew what and when".

Ms McDonald did not expressly rule out the prospect of going into government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael but said that the "best result" from the next election would be a government without either party and of the left.