Bitter exchanges are expected in the Dáil tomorrow when TDs debate allegations of sexual abuse by members of the republican movement arising from the Maíria Cahill case.

The debate, which is due to last for more than three hours, will involve statements from the leaders of all the major political parties including Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will open proceedings, followed by the leaders of the Labour Party, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the technical group, all of whom can speak for half an hour.

Once the party leaders have finished, other members of the Dáil will be allowed to speak for 10 minutes each. The debate is due to begin at 2.39pm and will finish by 6pm if not previously concluded.

Mr Adams and other Sinn Féin TDs have been under pressure for several weeks to explain how Ms Cahill was treated by the republican movement after she was raped by a member of the IRA when she was 16.

She has also claimed that sexual abusers in the republican movement were moved from the North to the Republic when their activities became known.

Allegations

There were heated exchanges in the Dáil two weeks ago when Mr Kenny, following a 1½-hour meeting with Ms Cahill, put her allegations directly to Mr Adams.

Last week, in a speech at a fundraising dinner in New York, Mr Adams told his American supporters that Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin were prepared to employ any “dirty trick, any slander, any lie” to stem the rising tide of support for Sinn Féin.

He insisted that the “scurrilous accusations” being made against him and the party were “untrue”.

Ms Cahill later criticised Mr Adams, saying his speech made light of her experience.

‘Retraumatising’

“I’m loathe to dignify his comments with a response except to say that while Gerry is joking about the affair in America, his supporters are continuing to retraumatise a victim,” she said.

“It shows that he continues to not treat the issue seriously, and he would do better to bring information forward to the authorities,” she said.

The Dáil debate follows a debate in the Northern Assembly last week when Sinn Féin junior minister Jennifer McCann faced calls to resign.

The motion tabled by the Democratic Unionists focused on an acknowledgment by Ms McCann that Ms Cahill made her aware of her allegations in 2005, when she was not an elected representative, and that she did not report the claims to the authorities.

Ms McCann defended her actions, insisting that Ms Cahill did not indicate she wanted the matter reported.

She added that she would not cover up or protect anyone who had been accused of rape or sexual abuse.