Sinn Fein has asked a Dublin city councillor, who resigned from the party in a row over bullying, to hand her seat back.
Ballymun based councillor Noeleen Reilly was elected to Dublin City Council on the SF ticket in 2014.
Last night she announced that she was resigning from the party with immediate effect after she was suspended for 6 months at a weekend meeting of the leadership board.
At the same meeting, Dublin North West TD Dessie Ellis was censured, the pair had been engaged in a months long war of words.
Upon her resignation, Noeleen Reilly said that she was the victim of a bullying campaign and that she sought the help of Sinn Fein leaders in 2014 but was told to 'keep matters internal.'
However in a statement released this morning, Sinn Fein says that Reilly was suspended for carrying out her own bullying campaign against a fellow female party councillor on social media.
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On Saturday, 3rd February, the Sinn Féin Ard Comhairle took the decision to suspend Councillor Noeleen Reilly for a period of six months for orchestrating a vicious bullying campaign against a fellow female party councillor on social media. The councillor in question, Councillor Cathleen Carney Boud, has been deeply distressed by her experiences at the hands of Councillor Reilly. Speaking today Councillor Carney Boud said; “Having been the victim of an orchestrated online bullying campaign I made a complaint to Sinn Féin against Councillor Noeleen Reilly who I believed to be behind the campaign. The complaint is supported by documentary evidence. “I am happy with how the party dealt with my complaint and the outcome of the procedure. I now wish to continue my work as a councillor and won’t be commenting any further on this matter.” Councillor Reilly has chosen not to appeal the decision of the Ard Comhairle but has instead resigned from the party. The party is now requesting that she hands the Sinn Féin Dublin City Council seat back to the party. Sinn Féin will not tolerate bullying. In relation to Councillor Reilly’s allegation that she was assaulted, the party told Councillor Reilly on numerous occasions that she should report the alleged incident to An Garda Siochana. Councillor Reilly was again told last Saturday in correspondence from Party Chairperson Declan Kearney to report the alleged incident to An Garda Siochana. |
Noeleen Reilly has denied these allegations on twitter.
Since her resignation, Sinn Fein has requested that Noeleen Reilly hand her Dublin City Council seat back to the party.
Sinn Fein has come under increased pressure to respond to recent claims of a culture of bullying within the party - with the Labour Party calling on deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald to refer the feud to Gardai.
