Marc MacSharry resigns from Fianna Fáil over Taoiseach's handling of complaint 

Independent TD's return to the party had been delayed due to a complaint made against him last month

Marc MacSharry alleges the Taoiseach used the complaint "for political gain at national level" to delay and prevent his re-admission to Fianna Fáil, which had been expected in recent weeks.

The Taoiseach has rejected the assertions made by Marc MacSharry after the former Fianna Fáil TD announced his resignation from the party. 

Mr MacSharry announced his resignation from the Fianna Fáil party on Wednesday, citing the Taoiseach's alleged failure to properly investigate a complaint made against him by a party councillor.

Mr MacSharry's return to the party had been delayed due to a complaint made against him last month.

The delay to readmitting him followed a complaint from Sligo Cllr Donal Gilroy over messages sent by Mr MacSharry in a Whatsapp group for local party representatives.

Mr MacSharry said the complaint related to exchanges between himself and Mr Gilroy on services that had been secured for Sligo University Hospital and that robust language had been used. 

The now Independent TD alleges the Taoiseach used the complaint "for political gain at national level" to delay and prevent his re-admission to Fianna Fáil, which had been expected in recent weeks.

Mr MacSharry resigned the parliamentary party whip last year in the run-up to a vote of confidence in Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney in relation to handling of Katherine Zappone’s special envoy appointment. However, he remained adamant at the time he would not leave the party.

In a statement issued today, Mr MacSharry said that he was resigning due to the fallout of the complaint made by Mr Gilroy.

Resignation & recent complaint. pic.twitter.com/XCwtZLmz23

— Marc MacSharry (@MarcMacsharryTD) November 2, 2022

In a letter posted on Twitter, Mr MacSharry said "this recent complaint related to exchanges between us over several months on services I have secured for Sligo University Hospital and their significance". 

He went on to describe it as "a robust issue and robust language was used". 

"Instead of arranging an investigation of this local political dispute, the Taoiseach used the complaint for political gain at national level to delay and prevent my re-admission to the parliamentary party.

He knows that I am critical of his performance as Taoiseach and his support within the parliamentary party is wafer thin.

Mr MacSharry added that his "re-admission would have been a problem for him, so he has used this complaint for his own purposes".

"The informal investigation promoted by the Taoiseach is a non-starter as the confidentiality required has been broken by the public statements of the Taoiseach and the Chief Whip.

"The Taoiseach has tried to brush this under the carpet with claims that I have not engaged. This is despite numerous correspondence from I to him, the Chief Whip and party officials on the matter setting out my position clearly."

Mr MacSharry also posted Mr Gilroy's complaint, with the now former Fianna Fáil TD including it "to show the highly politically motivated nature of it and its unquestionably suspicious timing on the eve of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting for my re-admission". 

He described it as "an unwarranted attack on the contribution of me and my family to political life with over 40 years' service in the Oireachtas".

The complaint surrounds correspondence by WhatsApp from Mr MacSharry sent to all the Fianna Fáil Councillors in Sligo on July 13, 2022, and on October 3, 2022.

A statement from a spokesperson for the Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil said: “We have received Marc MacSharry TD's resignation from Fianna Fáil. We wish him well for the future.

"We strongly reject the assertions made by Deputy MacSharry in relation to the written complaint received by the Party.”