SINN FÉIN TD Thomas Gould has written to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy seeking to address the Dáil after he was arrested and questioned as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged business fraud last week.

The Cork North Central TD and Sinn Féin Cork city councillor Kenneth Collins confirmed this weekend that they have been questioned  as part of the garda investigation

Both men have completely denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

Speaking to reporters in Austin, Texas this afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “due process should always prevail” and gardaí should be allowed to continue with their investigation.

He made the comments after he was asked by reporters about the announcement that McDonald and Gould had offered to make a statement before the Dáil.

“I’ve always been reluctant to dive in in the midst of the garda process. I think laterally, in more recent times, there seems to be a tendency to cast that aside,” the Fianna Fáil leader said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking to reporters in Austin, Texas today. Alamy Alamy

“These are fundamental principles of due process, and so I would err on the side of allowing the process to take its course,” Martin added.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed that Gould has requested time to address the matter in the Dáil when speaking to reporters in Dublin this afternoon. She added that she would also be willing to make a statement.

McDonald said the TD has “cooperated with the gardaí” and given a detailed statement.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she would be happy to make a statement in the Dáil on the matter. Alamy File Photo Alamy File Photo

“The gardaí now have a job to do and they need to get on with that,” McDonald said, adding that she believes it is important to be “upfront and be transparent” on issues relating to Sinn Fein, when it becomes a “matter of concern and comment”.

Asked whether Gould would be stepping back from his role in Sinn Féin today, McDonald said he would not. She said the TD has “emphatically rejected” the allegations against him and has a “job to do” to represent his constituents.

The Irish Times reported on Saturday that a member of the Oireachtas was arrested in relation to alleged €150,000 business fraud committed over a decade ago. The audit discovered alleged discrepancies in payment approvals, the paper said.

The alleged fraud came to light following a review of accounts belonging to a business that the politician worked for, before they were elected to the Oireachtas, according to the report.

In a statement on Saturday, Gould said he was “confident” that he would be vindicated and denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In a separate statement, Collins also denied any wrongdoing.

Additional reporting by Jane Matthews in Austin