Opposition To New Sinn Fein Chair of Public Accounts Committee Cools Down

Thursday, 17 October 2024 16:56

Sinn Fein is allowed to determine Brian Stanley's replacement as the lead opposition party.

Opposition to a new Sinn Fein Chair of the Public Accounts Committee appears to be cooling down.

A vote on the new chair will be voted on in the Dail next week.

Brian Stanley is still technically the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, but he has resigned from Sinn Fein following a turbulent week for the party.

As the lead opposition party, Sinn Fein is allowed to determine the chair of the PAC, and will nominate Mairead Farrell to the role next week.

It had been suggested this would be met with opposition from other parties – with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour all calling for clarity on issues raised by Sinn Fein earlier this week.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has joined those calls, but has added that the party will not oppose the nomination of Mairead Farrell as she says there is no precedent to do otherwise.

Meanwhile, Brian Stanley was absent from the Committee this morning, as it assessed the Financial Statements of the Charities Regulator.

Vice-Chair Catherine Murphy assumed the helm for the committees work today, but by next Thursday it looks like Mairead Farrell will have been installed as the new chair.