Fine Gael's Senator Catherine Noone, who alleged last week of being bullied by a party colleague, has decided against making a formal complaint, it has emerged.
Fine Gael began proceedings after the Senator, who led the Oireachtas Eighth Amendment committee, made allegations against an unnamed member of the party at a meeting of TDs and senators last week.
The party hired external consultants. Both she and the man were spoken with. The issue was to have been brought to a head at next Wednesday’s Fine Gael parliamentary party.
It is now expected that Ms Noone will make a statement to its next meeting. It is understood that while she made her concerns known to the Fine Gael hierarchy, she decided against to making a formal complaint.
Speaking there last week, she said she had been subject to misogyny by a male colleague for a number of years, but alleged that it had grown progressively worse over recent weeks.
The complaint was handled by Martin Heydon, the chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party, and Tom Curran, the general secretary: "Due process will be followed and the matter will be dealt with swiftly," the party had said.
The Senator said she had spoken Mr Heydon about the issue previously, but felt recent events had warranted a response from the party.
Replying to her comments at the time, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was disappointed to hear such claims and insisted bullying would not be tolerated. Mr Varadkar added he wanted to investigate the matter further.