Sligo Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry has quit the Fianna Fail party.
The Deputy’s shock resignation comes less than a fortnight after it emerged that a complaint was made against him by a Sligo Fianna Fáil Councillor ahead of his expected re-admittance to the party.
In a statement, Deputy Marc MacSharry has confirmed that he has resigned his membership of the Fianna Fáil party.
The Deputy says that this has resulted from what he has described as 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 him by a Fianna Fáil councillor in his constituency.
Instead of arranging an investigation of this local political dispute, Deputy MacSharry claims that the Taoiseach used the complaint for political gain at national level to delay and prevent his re-admission to the parliamentary party.
In his statement of resignation, Deputy MacSharry described the informal investigation promoted by Michael Martin as a non-starter as he believes that the confidentiality required has been broken by the public statements of the Taoiseach and The Chief Whip.
Marc MacSharry has also stated that despite claims that he has not engaged, he has had numerous correspondence with the Taoiseach, the Chief Whip and party officials on the matter, setting out his position clearly.
Deputy MacSharry thanked members of Fianna Fáil in the North West and beyond together with those in the Parliamentary Party who have provided their steadfast support in recent weeks and through the years.
Concluding, the Deputy says that he will continue to work as an independent member of Dáil Eireann to the very best of his ability on behalf of his constituency.
