THE GOVERNMENT CHIEF whip has written to the Ceann Comhairle asking for Dáil time to be set aside for Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald and Pearse Doherty to answer questions about party financing. 

In the Dáil today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it is “high time” the president and the treasurer of Sinn Féin made a statement in the house “to clear up” the matter regarding claims that Sipo are investigating a series of potential anomalies in Sinn Féin’s accounts and declarations. 

“It is far too serious for the House to ignore,” Varadkar said. 

In her letter, Hildegarde Naughton states that in the “spirit of transparency and accountability” she is requesting that consideration be given to allow time for Sinn Féin to make statements in the Dáil. 

She states that she would be happy to provide Government time “so as not to interfere with other opposition Private Members’ time”. 

Fine Gael’s Alan Farrell said in the Dáil today that Doherty told RTÉ’s Prime Time that Sipo is not investigating Sinn Féin, however, on Thursday The Irish Times reported that the watchdog is examining the party.

The Irish Times has reported that Sipo is investigating a series of “apparent mistakes, anomalies and contradictions in the Sinn Féin accounts and election spending declarations submitted by the party to the watchdog in recent years”.

“On the following day, I believe, Deputy McDonald told The Irish Times that Sinn Féin’s money was fully accounted for but admitted that her party had been questioned by Sipo over its declarations.

“If Deputy McDonald says her party’s finances are all accounted for, surely she and Deputy Doherty, the party’s treasurer since 2015, will have no problem addressing this issue in the House to allay the very serious concerns we all have with each new revelation,” he said. 

“If they have nothing to hide, they should be able to debate the matter in the House. If it were any other party, I am sure we would have already had the debate,” he said. 

The matter will be discussed at tomorrow’s Dáil Business Committee.