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Sinn Féin’s TD Brian Stanley apologized for a controversial tweet in which he referenced incidents from the Revolutionary War and the Troubles.
He said his actions were his. “I take full responsibility for them. There is no one else who should take responsibility. I am very aware of what you have said.
On Saturday, Laois-Offaly’s TD tweeted in reference to the Kilmichael Ambush in 1920 and the Narrow Water Massacre in Warrenpoint, Co Down in 1979, stating that they were “the 2 IRA operations that taught the elite of the British Army and to the establishment the cost of occupying Ireland. Pity for everyone, they were such slow learners ”.
Eighteen British soldiers were killed at Warrenpoint by the Provisional IRA in August 1979. A total of 17 British soldiers were killed during the War of Independence incident at Kilmichael, along with three IRA men.
In publicly apologizing to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Wednesday afternoon, Stanley, who chairs that committee, said the controversy had placed the committee in a “difficult and totally unnecessary position.”
“What I was trying to do was highlight that after the disastrous decision to divide the country almost 100 years ago in the wake of events like Kilmichael, we still had a conflict that went on for a long time. There was a lot of suffering.
“I deleted the tweet and I apologize for posting it. As we work to promote reconciliation on our island, we need to be able to speak about the past in an honest way with each other, with our beliefs, and in a way that does not deepen the division or cause harm.
“As an Irish Republican and as someone in a position of political leadership, I have to be more aware of my responsibility to ensure that I do not do anything that is disrespectful to others.”
“From the mid-1980s to the Hume Adams dialogue and finally to the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement, I have actively supported initiatives to achieve peace on the island,” he said.
“On Sunday, I apologized for any offense I caused due to the callous nature of the tweet and I want to repeat that apology to you here today. My tweet fell below not only the standard that we expect from each other, but the standard that I expect of myself and for that I am sincerely sorry, “he added.
Despite his apology, some TDs in the PAC called for more action from Stanley.
Fine Gael TD Colm Burke said it was disappointing that the tweet was sent out and said it had caused division. He asked Mr. Burke to make a full statement in the Dáil on the matter.
He said this was to restore the credibility of the PAC.
Co-leader of the Social Democrats, Catherine Murphy, said the tweet received a lot of attention and had an external impact. He asked to be assured that it was a “unique” comment.
“I sat on the committee during the centenary decade and there were members of your own party who played a constructive role. The only thing we understand is how difficult it would be to mark the war of independence and the civil war. “
Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she wanted to know “what was behind the sentiment.”
Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon also asked Mr. Stanley to make a new statement in the Dáil.
“I think your party leader needs to make a statement on this matter as well. The Irish public sees it as a strategic tactic to inflate tensions. “
“Political representatives must lead responsibly and it is clear that we need a statement on this matter.”
Fianna Fáil’s TD Marc MacSharry said he accepted the apology, but the problem caused harm to the victims. He said the Public Accounts Committee was not the place to broach the issue. “I think that as a nation we have become a coliseum where we are too eager to install the guillotine.”
Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster said she “had no doubt that every word she spoke was genuine and sincere. You’re a lifelong republican like me. I know your words are genuine because you have walked the path. For me that is the end of the matter. “
Former Labor Party leader Alan Kelly said that if someone from his party had behaved in the same way as Stanley, he would not continue to serve as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
“If someone in my group did what he did, they wouldn’t fill that position,” Kelly told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show.
“It must be dealt with by the Sinn Féin leadership.”
Kelly described the tweet sent by Brian Stanley as “abhorrent.”
The Labor Party leader said he previously would have viewed Mr. Stanley as “one of the softest people in Sinn Féin”, but sending the tweet had been “so wrong.”
Stanley deleted the tweet after posting it over the weekend and apologized, describing it as “inappropriate and insensitive.”
The tweet had sparked a backlash online, with accusations that it glorified violence and bloodshed.
On Tuesday, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Seán Ó’Fearghaíl wrote to Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster and said Stanley’s tweet would require a “credible political response.”
Ms Foster said that although the tweet was deleted, “It is outrageous that someone with such distorted views can occupy a high-level position in the Dáil. SF talks about respect and equality but there is not much respect for the victims ”.
In his letter, O’Fearghail said that while he is aware of the “independent and non-partisan” nature of his office, he believes that a “credible political response” is now needed.
Like many political representatives from the North and South, I was personally shocked and deeply shocked by its content. Posting such a hurtful statement on social media is not only grossly disrespectful to the victims and their families, but also an affront to all those committed to democratic politics on the island of Ireland.
“As elected representatives, I believe we have a shared responsibility to respectfully address the legacy of the past, promote reconciliation, and support the victims and their families.”
It is understood that if Sinn Féin does not take further action, DTs will address the issue in the Dáil committee on the procedures in which such complaints are handled.
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