Mary Lou McDonald came out swinging with Dáil statement — but questions will continue

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party had handled all of the cases well, before rounding on the Government's "hypocrisy", but failing to offer examples.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was criticised for her 'glowing' December statement regarding former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile. File Picture: PA.

There is a dead giveaway in political and media life that something has become a 'political football', and that is when accusations of 'using something as a political football' are extended and denied.

In fairness to Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman, when he said that he would not make a Dáil debate entitled Statements on Child Protection a political football, he was as good as his word, opening a session that was highly anticipated with a technical explanation of the work of Tusla and the Government's work on child protection. He told the Dáil that the issue would not be used purely to kick Sinn Féin, as if it had been planned before last Thursday.