Row about Sinn Féin TD's wife being only nominee for vacant council seat

Angela Donnelly, the wife of Sinn Féin TD Paul Donnelly, is the only nominee for a vacant seat on Fingal County Council

Sinn Féin TD for Dublin-West Paul Donnelly has refuted any allegations of nepotism or orchestrating plans that his partner could take the role on Fingal County Council. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A row has broken out in Dublin-West Sinn Féin over the nomination of a TD's wife as the only candidate for a vacant seat on Fingal County Council.

A convention is to be held on Friday evening to replace Aaron Ó Ruairc, who resigned from his role as a councillor in December. The only candidate put forward for the convention is Angela Donnelly, wife of TD Paul Donnelly.

Mr Ó Ruairc, the Ongar representative for the party, had been in the role for two years after Mr Donnelly was elected to the Dáil, but said he felt it was no longer possible to juggle his duties with his full-time job as a primary school teacher.

A source in the area said there had been considerable unrest about the fact Mr Donnelly's wife had been the only person put forward for the convention, guaranteeing her a seat on the council.

"It's been talked about a while but only really came to a head around 10 days ago," a local party member said.

It came as a bit of a surprise to some of us as Angela is not active, although she is in the party.

The source added that despite Ms Donnelly being nominated by two cumanns, there is a belief they are not independent and accused Mr Donnelly of nepotism.

"There has been some back and forth between members and the party and the convention was initially supposed to be held last week but it was postponed."

Mr Donnelly has refuted any allegations of nepotism or orchestrating plans that his partner could take the role.

"As far as I'm aware there's no row, she has been nominated by two independent cumanns," Mr Donnelly told the Irish Examiner.

"That's always gonna be that allegation when someone's partner is involved, that's how some people will perceive it, but there are two independent cumanns in the Ongar area, who nominated her. That's it."

Mr Donnelly also denied the postponement had anything to do with a row over the candidate.

"The party made the decision with the stuff going on with Violet [Anne Wynne, the former Sinn Fein TD who resigned last Friday]), it was a case of anything that was to happen was to pause, they were looking at the issue of the conventions, and it was decided to postpone the convention."

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said: “It is a matter for party structures in local electoral areas areas to nominate candidates to selection conventions, and for party members in those areas to select candidates.

“Nominations were opened for the selection of a co-optee for the vacant council seat as per party rules and at the close of nominations, one person was nominated by party structures in the area to go forward for selection.”