Marc MacSharry has confirmed he is leaving Fianna Fáíl as he accused the party of “creating new rules on the hoof” to keep him out.
The party is currently investigating a complaint made against the Sligo-Leitrim TD by councillor Donal Gilroy.
It was expected that Mr MacSharry, who quit the party in September 2021 ahead of a vote of no confidence in Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, would be readmitted to the party two weeks ago.
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However, during a meeting of the parliamentary party two weeks ago, Chief Whip Jack Chambers is understood to have told the party that an “issue had arisen”.
In a statement posted on social media, Mr MacSharry announced he was leaving Fianna Fáil and criticised Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s handling of the event.
“I have today resigned my membership of the Fianna Fail party,” he said.
“This has resulted from the failure of the Taoiseach as Leader of the party to allow a proper investigation of a recent complaint on a political issue made against me by a Fianna Fáil councillor in my constituency.
“Instead of arranging an investigation of this local political dispute, the Taoiseach used the complaint for political gain at national level to delay and prevent my re-admission to the parliamentary party.
“He knows that I am critical of his performance as Taoiseach and his support within the parliamentary party is wafer thin.
“My re-admission would have been a problem for him, so he has used this complaint for his own purposes.”
Mr MacSharry went on to say that the investigation was a “non-starter” as he suggested confidentiality had been “broken” by the Taoiseach and Mr Chambers.
He continued: “The Taoiseach has tried to brush this under the carpet with claims that I have not engaged. This is despite numerous correspondence from I to him, the Chief Whip [Jack Chambers] and party officials on the matter setting out my position clearly.”
“The handling of this complaint has involved the blatant manipulation of written Fianna Fáil party procedures together with a breach of confidentiality and denial of due process by party officials and the leadership.
“The invention of new rules on the hoof by linking a local political allegation to prevention of re-admission to the Parliamentary Party to suit the will and the agenda of the Taoiseach is unacceptable”
Mr MacSharry also shared the complaint sent against him by Cllr Gilroy to Fianna Fáil. It included text messages that showed Mr MacSharry using expletives several times.
Mr MacSharry rebuked Mr Gilroy over comments he made over Sligo University Hospital.
At last week’s parliamentary party meeting, both the Taoiseach and Mr Chambers advised that Mr MacSharry could be readmitted to the party if he engaged with the councillor.
Mr MacSharry’s father Ray was also a Fianna Fáil TD and previously acted as Tánaiste.
The Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil Micheal Martin has reacted to MacSharry's resignation.
He said: "We have received Marc MacSharry TD's resignation from Fianna Fáil. We wish him well for the future.
"We strongly reject the assertions made by Deputy MacSharry in relation to the written complaint received by the Party.”
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