Former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has alleged he was subjected to a foul-mouthed tirade from a senior party official for not vacating his Dáil office.
The Meath West TD has remained in his office on the Sinn Féin floor of the Leinster House 2000 building, despite having resigned from the party last November and since going on to form a party called Aontú.
Mr Tóibín said he had made requests to the Leinster House facilities management team over the past five months to move office but has been told no alternative was available due to ongoing renovations.
He was told by Sinn Féin officials to vacate his office on Tuesday but said he would only do so when an alternative was found.
However, he said he arrived in his office on Thursday and found a number of boxes had been placed there. Shortly afterwards, there was a heated verbal altercation between Mr Tóibín and the official.
Mr Tóibín posted a photograph on Twitter of the boxes and wrote that the senior official then “came in shouting ‘f**k off out of this floor, f**k off out of this area and f**k off out of this office before something happens’.”
“21 years I gave these people.”
Another office
A Sinn Féin spokesman said it was normal practice for a TD to vacate their office when resigning from a party. The custom was the same for all parties and that when there is a resignation the TD or Senator must apply to be allotted another office. The spokesman confirmed the official and Mr Tóibín had a conversation on the matter and he had been told to leave the Sinn Féin floor.
When asked about the nature of the discussion between Mr Tóibín and the official, particularly the alleged use of foul language, the spokesman said it was a private conversation and he was not aware of what was said. The official said he would not be commenting on the conversation.
Mr Tóibín said the atmosphere between him and some former colleagues in Sinn Féin had become more tense in recent weeks and several had been “blanking” him. He said this might have something to do with Aontú eating into Sinn Féin support.
Left the party
He said the facilities team in Leinster House had indicated they were going to find him an office over the Easter holidays.
Two Sinn Féin parliamentarians who left the party in this term – Carol Nolan and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh – moved out from the Sinn Féin floor within a short period. When five Fine Gael TDs and Senators were expelled from the party over abortion legislation in 2014, all of them had to move offices away from the Fine Gael floors.
