FF sacks senator over NI election ‘launch’

FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin has sacked his deputy leader in the Seanad, Mark Daly, after he participated in an unauthorised launch for the party’s first candidate in the North.

The Kerry man was stripped of his deputy leadership role and his position as Seanad spokesman on foreign affairs, the Irish overseas and diaspora in a reshuffle announcement yesterday.

It follows an event two weeks ago in Tyrone where he and frontbench TD Éamon Ó Cuív announced the former Sinn Féin councillor Sorcha McAnespy would contest the local elections in Northern Ireland – something which was immediately denied by Fianna Fáil HQ. It is expected that Mr Ó Cuív, a senior party figure and spokesman on rural affairs, will also face sanction.

Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee will replace Mr Daly as group deputy leader.

Yesterday, Mr Daly told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘I accept the decision of the leader and I will continue to work hard on behalf of my constituents.’

The incident happened two weeks ago at an event that had been earmarked as a discussion on Brexit, which saw Ms McAnespy unveiled as the party’s first candidate in the North for 80 years, complete with campaign posters.

At the same event, Mr Daly claimed Ms McAnespy had been told personally by Michéal Martin that she would run under the Fianna Fáil banner.