A Dáil committee sitting has been abandoned after a row over controversial comments made by Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne on Tipp FM yesterday.
He told Tipp Today with Fran Curry that the party must stop apologizing for IRA acts and that he had called to the houses of party members to discuss their social media posts about Sinn Féin.
It comes after a party member resigned when someone called to her house to ask her to take down Tweets critical of TD Brian Stanley.
The Public Petitions Committee had to adjourn when Chairman Martin Browne refused to address the issue – while Brendan Griffin and other Fine Gael TDs wouldn’t continue until he did:
“Will you take the opportunity now to explain those comments, they’ve caused an awful lot of hurt and upset to many people. It’s an opportunity now for you to explain those comments,” said deputy Griffin.
Deputy Browne responded, “Listen to the actual interview and come back to it. Don’t attribute comments that have appeared on print media…like I said it isn’t on the agenda and I’m going to move on now.”
In a statement released after the meeting, deputy Browne said he’s disappointed the first meeting was adjourned. He says comments made on Tipp Today allude to the need to move beyond apologies about IRA events to reconciliation.
