Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Recent weeks have shown that Sinn Féin is willing to make four individuals in its party accountable for their actions but as an organisation, is it willing to be accountable for its actions? Is it willing to answer questions about its financial culture? This motion is an opportunity to do so. Sinn Féin is a party of contradictions. It prides itself on standing up for ordinary workers but it is the party of big money. It prides itself on being an anti-partition 32-county party but it is partitionist when it wants to be. It accuses others of vested interests but it flaunts rules and, indeed, its own rules, and it certainly keeps its counsel when it suits its circle of friends. John Hume used a phrase in the 1970s and it is as relevant today. He said that one of these days Sinn Féin will disappear up its own contradiction. The question for my Sinn Féin colleagues today is simple. Can they put a price on principles? By voting "No" to this motion it seems they can.

Sinn Féin accepted a €4 million donation into the party's accounts in the North when it was bequeathed to Sinn Féin in the Republic of Ireland, taking advantage of much more lenient controls of political donations compared to the South. Some people may ask what does it matter. There are real concerns that Sinn Féin is dragging us back to the bad old days of Irish politics and cutting corners if people can get away with it. Sinn Féin is the party of big money. Its members do not notice £10,000 sitting in their bank accounts. I do not know a constituency organisation or a person, never mind four, who would not notice that type of money. Is it coincidence or culture? Its members are elected on the basis of abstention from Westminster but from 2010 to 2019 came £4.5 million in Westminster expenses. It is the richest political party in the country. In the North, its income last year was £2.5 million. By comparison, the SDLP's income was less than £150,000. It owns 50 properties in the South and is quite the landlord. It has a global fundraising network, especially in the United States. Friends of Sinn Féin has a site where people can directly donate money to support its activity in the North.

We need a fully transparent account from Sinn Féin on the public money that ended up in the bank account of a Senator of this House because it goes to the heart of the motion tabled by my colleague, Senator Ward. Was it a personal or political bank account? Is it normal practice for Sinn Féin politicians in the South to have access to political accounts in the North that are held to different standards in public office? Is any money in their accounts used to influence decisions or fund activity in the South? It returned the funds after the BBC and the Sunday Lifeuncovered connections. Why did it only take action when the media got involved twice? The Covid emergency fund was meant for struggling businesses that really needed the money. This is a bread and butter issue from which Sinn Féin cannot hide. Its party leader is adamant this issue is closed because she has dealt with it. Why move swiftly and ruthlessly on this issue and not on other grave issues that have affected other former Senators in this House, such as Máiría Cahill? Were issues like that not as important? It makes one wonder why they want this issue to go away so quickly.