A Minister of State has told Mary Lou McDonald that she believes comments made by Sinn Féin’s party whip about her were “misplaced and misogynistic” and called on her to “address” the issue.
During a debate on RTÉ's Budget 2024 broadcast on Tuesday, Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said his party colleague Pearse Doherty would “put manners” on Fine Gael’s Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
In a letter sent by Ms Carroll MacNeill to Ms McDonald, seen by The Irish Times, she told the Sinn Féin leader she was writing “as a member of the Oireachtas and as a fellow elected representative who is a woman, something I know we both agree there is far too few in public representation”.
She said she was “was taken aback, in the midst of coverage of Budget 2024 on RTÉ, to be told by Sinn Féin deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn he was sure Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson was ‘looking forward to putting manners on me,’ following a disagreement on the impact of taxation measures. Deputy Mac Lochlainn’s comment was misplaced and misogynistic. It also reminded me of a previous social media post by the same Deputy comparing me to a ‘modern day local version of Margaret Thatcher’. I query is this how Sinn Féin’s chief whip would have spoken to a male Oireachtas colleague in the same situation.”
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The Minister of State also said she has enjoyed positive working relationship with Sinn Féin deputies, naming Public Accounts Committee chair Brian Stanley and Kerry TD Pa Daly.
“I have also shown myself willing and ready to debate with anyone, opposition or otherwise, over the last few years, and have particularly enjoyed debates with many Sinn Féin TDs – Pearse Doherty, Mairéad Farrell and Matt Carthy to name a few,” she said.
“This matter had nothing to do with the general thrust of day-to-day party politics and I really do want to be absolutely clear about that. It is to do with a personal, ill thought-out comment on live TV by a prominent Sinn Féin Deputy and Chief Whip of your Party. Women have enough to contend with as public representatives without having to deal with this sort of commentary.”
Ms MacNeill said she hoped the issue could be “addressed how you see fit as party leader”.
A spokeswoman for Sinn Féin would not say if there would be a response to the letter, or any action, but said: “Pádraig Mac Lochlainn was clearly referring to the Fine Gael party and not any individual, as he made clear during the broadcast.”
On the RTÉ budget programme, Ms MacNeill was speaking about tax changes being introduced by the Coalition and was speaking about attempts to reduce tax for workers while targeting the cuts to people earning less than €50,000.
She told Mr Mac Lochlainn that she could show him the figures if he needed to see them.
He replied: “I’m sure Pearse Doherty will look forward to debating you after this budget and I’m sure he’ll look forward to putting manners on you.” Afterwards, Ms MacNeill said: “Excuse me, what? What does that mean?”
Mr Mac Lochlainn said: “It is just the arrogance of the Fine Gael party to say they’ve stood up for the interest of people on lower incomes.”
