Exclusive: Patricia Ryan TD Cites Leadership Issues And Censorship In Sinn Féin Exit

Thursday, 10 October 2024 08:57

By Martin Osborne and Eoin Beatty

A well-placed source said Ryan has been dealing with a lot of "inside" problems.

Disillusionment with Sinn Fein's party direction was one of the reasons that prompted Patricia Ryan TD to resign from the party.

That's according to a source, who said the Kildare South TD felt like she was getting "no support" from party leaders.

They said Deputy Ryan felt like the party "was not listening to the people on the ground".

The well-placed source said Ryan has been dealing with a lot of "inside" problems.

They said one of her social media posts was censored.

Kfm understands that Deputy Ryan was ordered to take down a social media post about illegal dumping at the Curragh.

The source also said Ryan felt like she was not getting support from the party and that she has been dealing with a lot of "hassle".

The source reiterated that Deputy Ryan felt like Sinn Fein was not supporting her bid for re-election and that all their resources were being directed towards another candidate.

Kfm has contacted Sinn Fein for comment.

Last night, Sinn Féin Whip Padraig MacLochlainn said he was “disappointed” in Ms Ryan’s decision to resign.

“Patricia Ryan has been a Sinn Féin TD since 2020, having served on Kildare County Council in the year before that. She was a valued member of our team and I’m disappointed that she has made this decision,” he said.

“The convention for the Kildare South Constituency will take place next week, with nominations opening tomorrow morning. This is likely to be a contested convention. We encouraged Patricia to seek the nomination but she was unwilling to do so."

“She informed us today that she will not be putting her name forward and tendered her resignation from the party.”

Ryan was first elected to the Dáil in 2020, having served on Kildare County Council in the year before that.

She topped the poll in the constituency in 2020, despite being abroad on holiday for some of the election campaign.

Meanwhile, the party's housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin, says Deputy Ryan's resignation came as a surprise to him:

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