SINN FÉIN’S operations in the Republic have suffered another blow with the departure of the latest Dublin City Council member from the party’s ranks.
So far, it is not known which party Cllr Louise Minihan will join on the city council, or whether she will sit as an Independent. She had been co-opted in 2002 to fill the Ballyfermot/Drimnagh seat vacated by Tony Smithers.
However, Ms Minihan does have ties with others who quit Sinn Féin in recent months and years to form Éirígí, arguing that Sinn Féin has abandoned its socialist republican roots.
Last night, Dublin South Central TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh sharply criticised Cllr Minihan, pointing out that she had been happy under the party’s flag in the June local elections.
“She had an opportunity to run as an Independent but chose not to do so. She should now return the seat to Sinn Féin so that we can continue to represent the people of Ballyfermot, Chapelizod, Drimnagh and Inchicore as we were elected to do,” he said.
The haemorrhage of Sinn Féin councillors is a serious worry for many members of the party. Cllr Killian Forde is now the only Sinn Féin councillor in Dublin elected in 2004 to still represent the party.
Early this month, Dublin councillor Christy Burke left, saying he had resigned in protest at what he described as a lack of support from the party during his Dublin Central byelection campaign. However, relations between Mr Burke, the Cabra-based, 25-year council veteran, and the party have been cool for some time, party sources told The Irish Times.
Confirming that she will remain on the city council, Ms Minihan said she “no longer” believed that Sinn Féin remained committed to its stated objective “of ending British rule in Ireland and the establishment of an Irish democratic socialist republic”.
Rejecting Sinn Féin’s demands to return the council seat, she said: “It would be hypocritical of me to hand over my seat to a party I no longer support or believe in.
“I know from speaking to people in my constituency that many of them voted for me on the basis of the politics I promote and my track record of community activism.”
