Sinn Féin Senator Máire Devine has formally apologised for a malicious tweet to the family of a prison officer murdered by the IRA.
Ms Devine was suspended from the party for three months, earlier this month, after she retweeted a post referring to Brian Stack as a “sadist prison officer’’.
She told the Seanad she wanted to put on the record “her most sincere apologies’’ to Mr Stack’s family.
She said she had retweeted what she thought was a genuine tweet without reading its full content.
“A number of follow-up tweets from me were wholly inappropriate and I deeply regret that,’’ added Ms Devine. “I want to again apologise for any and all offence and hurt that was caused by my Twitter activity.’’
She said it was never her intention to cause any more hurt to those already in deep distress.”
