Brian Stanley controversy: Government ‘bottled’ fight to block new PAC chair nomination, SF says

Sinn Féin has accused the Government and other Opposition parties of not having “the nerve” to block the appointment of its TD Mairéad Farrell as chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
Sinn Féin chief whip Padraig MacLochlainn said the Government parties and some opposition whips had “bottled” opposing the proposal at a Dáil committee that sat privately today.
The appointment, which is being made to replace the former Sinn Féin chair Brian Stanley who resigned from the party last Saturday, was considered by the Dáil’s business committee.
The committee unanimously approved a proposal to send a motion making Ms Farrell the chair to the Dáil, meaning it will be considered by the house next week.
Although, in reality, the committee could not have blocked the progression of the appointment to the Dáil even if parties had dissented from the proposal, Sinn Féin said the unanimous nature of the decision showed that Government and other parties “don’t have the nerve” to block the appointment.
“They bottled it today, whenever the question was put, I don’t believe they have the nerve to block Maireád Farrell next week,” Mr MacLochlainn said after the meeting.
The appointment of chairs to Oireachtas committees is usually done without debate on the floor of the Dáil and therefore not put to a vote – and the motion to be put before the Dáil is in line with this. However, this may be objected to next week when it comes to the Dáil and the Government may move to force a vote on the matter.
Sinn Féin has promised to propose Ms Farrell again if this happens. The Sinn Féin motion also seeks to remove Mr Stanley from the committee and replace him with its Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy. Ms Farrell is already a sitting member of the PAC.
Mr Stanley stood down from Sinn Féin after an internal inquiry into allegations made against him which he dismissed as a “kangaroo court”. He has made a counter-allegation to the initial claims, which did not include any allegation of criminal behaviour.
It is understood that some parties raised concerns at the meeting about Sinn Féin’s handling of a series of controversies at the private meeting today but did not object to the motion going to the Dáil.
“I’m determined to go to the Dáil next week and say that when this Q was put at committee, all these parties did not dissent,” Mr MacLochlainn said.
PAC met this morning with Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy chairing in the absence of Mr Stanley.