The masked slipped and the naked face of Sinn Féin was exposed for all to see in the Dáil during the week thanks to the courage and persistence of Maíria Cahill.

The party’s implacable denial of her central claims and its campaign of denigration against her gave the electorate a glimpse of how things might work if ever Sinn Féin achieves power.

The diversionary tactic of a Dáil sit-in the following day was an obvious ploy to distract attention from the party’s embarrassment but it was also very revealing.

Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald deliberately set about disrespecting Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett and his office. In the process they revealed their contempt for the democratic institutions that have served the people of this State since its foundation.

The week’s events should act as a wake- up call to those who complacently believe Sinn Féin is a political party like any other which will be tamed by a term in office.

The events raised by Maíria Cahill did not take place decades ago when murky republican deeds can be shrouded in obfuscation. They happened after the IRA ceasefires when the peace process was nearing fruition and Sinn Féin had finally brought itself to accept the legitimacy of the Dáil.

Tough accusations

Some really tough accusations were directed at Sinn Féin leaders during Wednesday’s debate on the way the republican movement handled allegations of sexual abuse. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin didn’t spare Gerry Adams or his party as they catalogued the claims of abuse and the movement of abusers from Northern Ireland to other jurisdictions. They had an obvious political interest in attacking Adams, but to accept Sinn Féin’s dismissal of the debate as a simple political point-scoring exercise by its opponents would be to miss the point entirely.

The obdurate refusal of Adams and his party colleagues to address the serious questions raised by TDs of other parties reveals a mindset that does not believe in accountability or repentance in any circumstances for the actions of the republican movement.

The self-pitying tone adopted by the Sinn Féin leader in response to the series of tough questions asked of him was another feature of the debate and of the party’s response to criticism in general.

This is ironic in the light of the strident, aggressive approach consistently adopted by the leading Sinn Féin figures towards the other parties in the Dáil. Mundane political issues are routinely elevated into major controversies in a largely successful effort to generate media coverage.

The contrast between the way in which Sinn Féin refused to account for its handling of sexual abuse by republicans and its denunciation of the Catholic Church for its failures in the same area was particularly striking.

Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty zoned in on Mary Lou McDonald’s unequivocal backing for her leader despite all her statements about women’s rights and her demand that the full rigours of the law should be applied to any Catholic priest remotely suspected of covering up abuse. Yet when it came to her turn to speak the Sinn Féin deputy leader had no answer to the specific allegations about the republican movement.

McDonald and other Sinn Féin speakers had no difficulty in condemning sexual abuse in general, and calling on people with information to go to the authorities, but they failed miserably to accept any responsibility for their movement’s failure to deal adequately with abuse in its ranks.

Maíria Cahill put her finger on it when, asked for a comment after the debate, she said: “I know Gerry said he wishes me well and hopes I achieve justice but the people who denied me the opportunity to achieve justice were the IRA and Sinn Féin.”

Campaign of terror

The approach taken by Adams was all of a piece with the attitude he adopted during the Troubles when he repeatedly expressed the desire for peace yet the IRA campaign of terror continued unabated.

The Dáil sit-in the day after the debate also reflected this mindset. The party deliberately disrupted the normal workings of parliament but then sought to transfer responsibility for it on to the shoulders of others. It is a tried and trusted tactic that has worked well for Sinn Féin down the years.

The unprecedented decision to stage a sit-in in the Dáil chamber in defiance of a majority vote in the House was followed by the deliberate attack on the integrity of the Ceann Comhairle. This was a step far beyond the normal tactics of an Opposition party.

Micheál Martin and some of his TDs have had regular runs-in with the Ceann Comhairle and the party voted with Sinn Féin against the expulsion of McDonald.

However, party whip Seán Ó Fearghaíl had no hesitation in condemning the Sinn Féin sit-in. “As a republican I respect the democratic will of Dáil Éireann and I expect all other members of the House to afford the institution that same respect,” he said, adding that the time wasting exercise served no purpose and brought politics into further disrepute.

Bringing politics and its institutions into disrepute serves to advance the Sinn Féin agenda, which is focused on creating conditions under which a united Ireland under its control can be brought into being. The party’s agenda is ably abetted by the corrosive cynicism that infects much of the media coverage of politics.

Maíria Cahill has served her country well by showing people the real face of the republican movement. Whether the voters heed the message or not is another thing but nobody can say they weren’t warned.