Wynne and lessons in how to live off the state

CLARE TD Violet-Anne

Wynne has exited Sinn Féin with a blistering attack on the party that chose her as its 2020 candidate, despite her measly 200 votes in the local elections the previous year.

Among Ms Wynne’s many grievances, according to her resignation statement, is that her maternity leave cover worker was paid for a 41hour week plus overtime despite working only half the week. But given her record of living on welfare, the mother of six has a nerve objecting to anyone getting something for nothing.

She got into Trinity to study psychology via the college’s access programme (TAP) for disadvantaged students. According to her LinkedIn profile, she did not work between her graduation in 2009 and her election to the Dáil in 2020, apart from seven months teaching literacy. She moved to Clare to avail of the Rural Resettlement housing scheme, where she gave birth to five children while unemployed. Although her rent was only €63 a week, she amassed arrears of €13,000 over four years.

Ms Wynne is now claiming ‘psychological warfare’ and ‘gaslighting’ from the Sinn Fein party - strong words indeed and worth investigation.

There is no sin in her joining a party whose mission is to reshape the State, albeit a State that has given her an elite education, a cheap house, welfare supports and a six-figure TD’s salary, despite having no previous employment.

Her mistake might be assuming that she could play a buccaneering party controlled by a West Belfast ‘politburo’ as easily as she lived off state and charitable assistance.