Fine Gael refuses to confirm status of disciplinary process into former senator Martin Conway

Mr Conway resigned the party whip last year after failing to inform Fine Gael he had been arrested on Dublin’s O’Connell Street for 'being in an intoxicated state due to consumption of sleeping tablets and alcohol'

Martin Conway was subject to a separate internal investigation over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female Oireachtas staff member. File picture: Damien Storan

Fine Gael has refused to confirm the status of an internal disciplinary procedure into its former senator Martin Conway a year after it began.

In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the party’s press office pointed to a statement from February 9, 2025.

That is the same day it was confirmed Mr Conway had resigned the party whip after failing to inform Fine Gael he had been arrested on Dublin’s O’Connell Street for “being in an intoxicated state due to consumption of sleeping tablets and alcohol”.

The Clare-based senator had also been involved in a separate Fine Gael investigation in 2020 into alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a female Oireachtas staff member who was working for another politician.

Last year, Sinn Féin TDs used Dáil privilege to call on Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris to answer questions about media reports a payment of €10,000 was made to a charity as part of an apology.

A year on from Mr Conway’s departure from the parliamentary party, Fine Gael declined to provide an update on the internal disciplinary procedure, pointing the Irish Examiner to a statement issued exactly one year ago that “still stands”.

The 2025 statement read: “Fine Gael notes Senator Martin Conway’s statement, apologies and his resignation of the party whip. The matter is now subject to a party disciplinary process.”

Fine Gael also did not confirm if Mr Conway was still a member of the party. However, it is understood the party’s disciplinary process can only examine Fine Gael members.

Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said it was not acceptable that Fine Gael had not provided any more information on the investigation.

“There are still a lot of questions to be answered by the Fine Gael party,” she said. “They haven't been upfront, and their procedures have not been transparent.”

“The sum of €10,000 was mentioned by way of a payment. It's still not clear who made that payment, where that money came from, or what that payment was made for. Fine Gael should really come out and explain that.”

Fine Gael did not respond to further queries from the Irish Examiner on Monday, asking for details about the donation, who paid it, and to whom it was made.

It also did not confirm if the internal disciplinary procedure has started or when it expected it to be complete.

Mr Conway returned to the Seanad in July and is now sitting on the independent benches after resigning the Fine Gael party whip.