Enda Kenny has said Sinn Féin and the IRA had engaged in “unholy collusion” to protect rapists, and themselves.
“It didn’t matter what terror they might cause, what damage they might do. But who’d care about victim, once the institution remained intact?” he said.
At the beginning of a five hour Dáil debate on the abuse allegations put forward by Mairia Cahill, the Taoiseach said the testimony of Ms Cahill and other victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Republicans “has been both chilling and compelling.”
Mr Kenny opened today’s Dáil debate on the cover up of abuse by the provisional Republican movement, saying Cahill’s testimony has been, “sincere and dignified. In short, the polar opposite of the Sinn Féin response. Whether it be here in the Dáil, on TV or radio, in tweets or blogs.”
He says Ms Cahill came up against people who had “the delusion and the gall to refer to themselves as Óglaigh na hÉireann”.
The Taoiseach went on to say that instead of "manning up" and doing what real men would have done, Sinn Féin have done the opposite and objectified Ms Cahill.
Hear Mr Kenny's full statement:
Responding, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams denied the allegations that his party facilitated sex abusers in any way.
“Your main worry is electoralism. The main focus of all of this is on the outcome of the next general election,” Mr Adams said to the Taoiseach.
“The other elements include an allegation that the IRA investigated the allegation of rape. And this has now morphed into accusations of a cover-up by Sinn Féin and then form that not a charge that we facilitate sex abusers. I reject these charges, they are not true.”
Mr Adams also said he has received information “from a republican source” in relation to matters of abuse, which he has passed to the gardaí.
Throughout the debate there were a number of calls for Sinn Féin to control the online activities of party members in relation to the abuse directed towards Cahill. First to raise this issue was the Tánaiste, Joan Burton. Burton called directly on Mr Adams, to condemn online attacks against Ms Cahill.
“The least she deserves is that the Sinn Féin President calls off the dogs of war on Mairia Cahill. She has to be allowed to tell her story without Sinn Féin’s keyboard warriors attacking her every word,” the Tanaiste said.
Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty says she has the names of eight alleged IRA abusers - but is afraid to name them, even under privilege in the Dáil.
“I have knowledge of eight other men – alleged abusers – who were facilitated by Sinn Féin out of Northern Ireland, relocated to the Republic of Ireland. But to be honest with you I’m too afraid to name them here today, so I’ve exercised my duty by making an appointment with my local sergeant on Friday morning to hand over that information to An Garda Síochána and report these men, and I absolutely, fundamentally think it’s now time for Sinn Féin to exercise their duty,” Ms Doherty said.
The deputy leader of Sinn Féin insisted the party is not guilty of any cover up of sexual abuse. Mary Lou McDonald's described the allegation as a slander and a slur during the Dáil debate on the allegations of Mairia Cahill.
She says the IRA should never have been involved in dealing with allegations of sexual abuse, adding that anyone associated with abuse of a child or cover up of abuse must face full rigours of the law.
Deputy McDonald urged anyone with information on sexual abuse to come forward, and rejected criticism that as a woman she had failed Mairia Cahill:
“I’m the mother of two young children and like any mother I would walk the hot coals of hell to protect my children. I attach the very same value to every other child to their safety and their welfare. And the accusation made by some in this house and amplified in some media outlets, that any of us are ambivalent to the safety of children, of that ewe would be party to a cover-up or withhold information is untrue,” Ms McDonald said.
