*Senator Martin Conway (IND) and Tánaiste Simon Harris (FG).
A DÁIL motion has been submitted by Sinn Féin urging the Tánaiste and leader of Fine Gael, Simon Harris (FG) to make a statement on Clare Senator Martin Conway (IND).
Sinn Féin have requested that the motion be placed on the Dáil order paper which would result in a debate on the matter during the party’s private members time.
In their motion, Sinn Féin detailed that Fine Gael completed an internal investigation into the inappropriate behaviour of a sitting Senator towards a female member of staff and a subsequent substantial sum of money was donated to a charity in the aftermath of their investigation.
Conway was selected by Fine Gael with the backing of the party leadership on two occasions following the investigation, Sinn Féin flagged. They said there are many outstanding questions in relation to the nature of the inappropriate behaviour and the actions of Fine Gael.
After Ennistymon native Conway confirmed he had been arrested by Gardaí in Dublin for intoxication, Fine Gael launched a disciplinary process, he failed to inform the party at the time of his arrest on January 22nd.
In his only statement on the matter, Martin outlined that he was arrested “for being in an intoxicated state due to consumption of sleeping tablets and alcohol”. He was released without charge.
An inquiry cited by Sinn Féin in their motion took place in 2020 after an incident in 2018. Conway had been accused of acting in an inappropriate manner with a female Oireachtas staff member working for a Fine Gael politician in a bar in Dublin.
In a statement, a Fine Gael spokesperson said the accusation was “put to the person concerned” [Senator Conway] and that he “subsequently apologised”. This apology “was accepted” by the female staffer and no further action was taken by Fine Gael.
