KEEP QUIET ON BULLYING IN SF
...that’s what Adams told party senator, as ex-member reveals assaults and threats to families
GERRY ADAMS told a senior Sinn Féin member that he should not have put claims of bullying within the party in writing, the Irish Mail on Sunday reveals today.
We also expose the intimidation tactics used to silence members who speak out. They include assaults, threats to harm family members, false allegations and harassment. The party
has been dogged by internal bullying reports in recent years, with 10 elected representatives leaving, citing bullying or disciplinary issues as the reason. Another eight walked away after clashing with the party.
Galway Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh became the latest and one of the most highprofile members to quit Sinn Féin.
The senator, who resigned last week, told the MoS that he first detailed issues surrounding false accusations and a bullying campaign against him in April, in a letter signed by 23 members of the party.
In response, the leadership asked Mr Ó Clochartaigh not to circulate the letter, and set up a review panel comprised of a senior TD, a senior party official and an administrative staff member from Leinster House. That team eventually gave him a verbal synopsis of their findings, which were that no disciplinary action was needed. However, he said he never received a copy of the report. And after this the campaign against him intensified.
As the country looked like it was gearing up for a snap general election, Mr Ó Clochartaigh told the party he would not put his name forward for selection at the local party convention unless the issues had been resolved. This ultimately led to a face-toface
‘Gerry said it was a mistake to write a letter’ ‘A party that’s notorious for its intimidation’
meeting with party president Mr Adams who told the senator he shouldn’t have put the bullying claims in writing.
‘I met Gerry on Wednesday afternoon [Nov 29]. Again I put all of these issues to him and I said look we need to step back from this, we need to look at the issues underlying this and he basically said, he listened to them again, he said he felt it was a mistake to have written a letter in April. I said I didn’t think so, I said it’s very important to us as the 23 [people who signed the initial letter] to actually document what we felt were the issues.’
Asked why Mr Adams said that, he said: ‘I don’t know, he just said he felt it was a mistake. I found that strange and I explained to him that, for example, if a constituent came to me with an issue with their employer or anything like that, the first thing I’d tell them to do is always put it in writing. So that’s part of it. One of the issues with the process is there’s nothing in writing from the party and that is one of the remedies I would suggest the party needs to look at.
‘I sent four different pieces of written communications to the party and the only thing I’ve ever got back is one of these automatic acknowledgements saying your email has been received. So there’s nothing in writing, so I had a concern in that regard and I’m very glad I wrote what I did. And it wasn’t just me. The thing in April was 23 of us and there were other issues from what I’m saying now.’
Mr Adams is stepping down as president, after 35 years, and a new leader will be elected by the end of February.
Human rights activist and former Sinn Féin member Tara O’Grady – mother of Hollywood actor Jack Reynor – said: ‘We’re talking about a political party that is notorious for intimidation. You couldn’t be surprised by it when it happens, it’s just really unfortunate that people are being told their kids are going to be intimidated, or their home is going to be bombed or set on fire or their car will be blown up.’
Ms O’Grady previously acted as an independent witness on behalf of three councillors in Wicklow – Gerry O’Neill, John Snell and Oliver O’Brien – who were expelled after a long-running dispute about attendance and voting rights.
The MoS spoke to several people who have been affected by intimidation and bullying in Sinn Féin. Following Mr Ó Clochartaigh’s resignation Councillor Gabe Cronnelly – also a Galway representative – handed in his resignation. Earlier this week, Eugene Greenan, who abruptly quit the council in June, spoke for the first time to local media about his reasons for leaving. ‘I have concluded that I cannot be a member of an organisation that treats its members so poorly and that effortlessly disregards it’s mantra of fairness and equality,’ he told Northern Sound radio. Across the country there has been a spate of resignations from disillusioned councillors in Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Kildare, Kilkenny, Cavan, Longford and Tyrone. But a spokesman for Sinn Féin said last night the party rejected the allegations.
‘Trevor Ó Clochartaigh never made any allegations of bullying to Sinn Féin. He raised issues as to how the party was being run in Galway West. On the back of Trevor’s complaint, a review of the constituency was conducted and all parties accepted its recommendations. The fact is Trevor decided to resign from Sinn Féin rather than contest an election convention.
‘Sinn Féin has 13,000 members. The fact is that only four of those public representatives who’ve left the party cited bullying in their initial complaints does not represent a culture of bullying. In fact, that accusation is insulting to the membership of this party,’ he said.
‘The party is in transition and modernising with training at all levels to manage its growth and to make our structures fit for purpose. And that is what will happen.’