Violet-Anne Wynne sees no hope of reconciliation with Sinn Féin

Clare TD left the party last year citing 'psychological warfare' while she was on maternity leave

Clare TD Violet-Anne Wynne said there had been 'absolutely no' contact from Sinn Féin.

A former Sinn Féin TD said she was "kept busy doing things that weren't the work" of a public representative and that there is little hope of her returning to the party.

Violet-Anne Wynne left Sinn Féin last year citing "psychological warfare" while she was on maternity leave. Since returning to Leinster House in September, she told the Irish Examinershe is "in a much better place" as a TD.

Ms Wynne said she was focused on her constituency work in Clare as well as having joined the Oireachtas Good Friday Committee, an all-party committee on diabetes. But she said there was no hope of a reconciliation between herself and the party.

A Trinity College graduate, Ms Wynne moved to Clare as part of a rural resettlement scheme over a decade ago and said she became involved in Sinn Féin after the downgrade of Ennis Hospital in 2009. 

Having received fewer than 400 votes in the 2019 local elections, she topped the poll in the 2020 general election, having been a late addition to the party's ticket as Sinn Féin's popularity surged.

However, Ms Wynne said after her election, there was little in the way of onboarding or being shown the ropes.

"I kept hearing for a very long time that there was going to be some kind of a — I don't think the word book was used — but some kind of a document for first-time TDs that was being organised. 

"I was being told that that was something that was being done in the background and that they would have that ready at some stage and that that would be very helpful to me then. But that never came, ever."

Since her return from last year's acrimonious split, Ms Wynne said there had been "absolutely no" contact from Sinn Féin, nor is she interested in a return.

"No, absolutely not. It's a difficult one because obviously I want to be answering the questions but I've just gotten to a place mentally where I don't want to look back at all and I just want to keep moving forward.

"I think just the fact that maybe it's okay in other parties for members to leave and maybe it's more acceptable. Maybe it's something that's more common. I don't know what the answer is, but it definitely just wouldn't be the same experience. 

Once you've made that decision to leave, the feeling is that you've overstepped the mark really and there is no way to go back."

Asked if she would align with any other groups in order to secure more Dáil speaking time or support, Ms Wynne said she had focused only on "getting my feet under me" and would make a decision in the coming months.

Following her election, Ms Wynne's past and personal life became a focus of intense media scrutiny, something she said she had expected. 

Reports broke during and after the election that Ms Wynne had defaulted on rent through Rural Resettlement Ireland (RRI), which took a case seeking that she respond to its claim for €12,126, which was the sum of four years’ arrears owed. 

After her election, the full arrears were paid to a Clare cancer charity as RRI is no longer operating. Since her election, she herself has become homeless, a situation which she says is still ongoing, but adds she is living with family.