Fianna Fáil TD Marc Mac Sharry Resigns From Parliamentary Party

Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo – Leitrim, Marc Mac Sharry has resigned from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party ahead of a no-confidence motion in Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Simon Coveney.

Mr Mac Sharry had wanted a meeting of the parliamentary party to be organised to discuss how TD's should vote in the no confidence vote.

According to a letter sent to An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, Deputy Mac Sharry said, ‘as a democrat I have consistently tried to ensure that democratic processes underpin all Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party policy, decision making and actions.

Given the importance of votable business before us in Dáil Éireann this evening I requested that our parliamentary party meet to democratically consider how we should vote in this evening’s motion of no confidence’.

Deputy Mac Sharry elaborated further by saying ‘sadly, as has been the practice over the course of the last year, the party voting intentions have once again been dictated by Government without debate and without the input from Fianna Fáil elected parliamentary party members.

This, together with the mis-handling of serious issues including: leaks from cabinet; Merrion-gate, the ongoing UN envoy debacle, inconsistencies and contradictions on COVID rule interpretation together with the irreconcilable reality that the public are expected to accept that some people are expendable and others are not’.

Further, Mr. Mac Sharry said, ‘I cannot stand over a situation where depending on the protagonists involved different rules apply. I was elected to serve a democratic republic not one which applies different rules and sanctions depending on the identity or position of the people involved.

All of the above compound the fact that all Fianna Fáil party positioning and policy are being determined in a fashion consistent with all undemocratic totalitarian regime rather than that of a democratic socialist republican party of and for the people’.

‘I therefore have no option but to resign the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party whip effective immediately and will be voting no confidence in Minister Coveney this evening’.

This reduces the number of Fianna Fáil TDs in the 33^rd Dáil to 36, excluding the automatic re-election of An Ceann Chomharile.

Mr Mac Sharry has been a long associated critic and an opponent of the leadership of Micheál Martin.

Marc Mac Sharry departs the party, having served for 14 years as a Senator in the Seanad from 2002-2016, and a TD for the party from 2016 to this present moment. He will now serve as an Independent TD for the constituency of Sligo – Leitrim.