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Sinn Féin has asked Facebook to remove a secret group of 16,000 supporters of which some TDs and councilors were members until this week.
The group of supporters contained abusive and sometimes violent comments about numerous high-ranking politicians, including Taoiseach and Tánaiste. Facebook was not searchable and members could only access if they were specifically invited.
Sligo Leitrim TD Martin Kenny and Clare TD Violet Anne Wynne were listed as members of the group along with several renowned councilors. However, they left after The Irish Times contacted Sinn Féin this week about the posts that had been posted in the past weeks and months.
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said the party did not operate the group. One of the administrators is a party activist who campaigned vigorously for Cavan TD Pauline Tully in this year’s general election.
“Sinn Féin does not operate any Facebook group and Sinn Féin is not responsible for any content in this group or any other Facebook group.
“There is a responsibility for social media platforms like Facebook to address this type of content, which is clearly unacceptable and violates their own standards. We have contacted Facebook to make it clear that Sinn Féin has nothing to do with this group and that they should eliminate it, ”said a party spokesman.
The group is called “Sinn Féin”, although it describes itself as an unofficial fan group and says it has been around since 2013.
Fianna Fáil senator Malcolm Byrne earlier this year complained about the group to Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin when it was previously more accessible to the public before it went secret in late summer.
Byrne said the group contained comments that are “homophobic and racist and others target refugees” and called on the party to take action in August.
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