'Contradiction' in statements by Mary Lou McDonald and Brian ...

Mr Stanley resigned as a Sinn Féin TD on Saturday, following an internal investigation after a complaint was made against him.

He accused his party of carrying out a “character assassination” against him.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Stanley said Ms McDonald had provided wrong information about when the complaint was lodged.

He said the complaint was lodged on July 26, not on August 2, as Ms McDonald had said.

“As a matter of fact, I made her aware in person on July 29 of it and that certain information regarding it had been circulated by party members,” Mr Stanley said, in his statement on Monday through his solicitor.

Mr Harris said while he did not want to engage in a “political back-and-forth”, Ms McDonald needed to put all the information out into the public domain.

“It’s important that the leader of the opposition doesn’t engage in whataboutery and actually answers the very direct questions that I think people are rightly wanting to know the answers to.

“There's clear contradictions, I suppose, between the statement of Deputy Stanley and Deputy McDonald, but they’re a matter for her.” 

Mr Harris said it would be “very helpful” if as much information as possible was made public, saying questions must be answered in a straightforward manner.

Today has actually added another layer of confusion and lack of clarity, rather than bringing clarity to the matter.

Earlier on Monday, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe questioned how Ms McDonald had not known the details of the complaint against Mr Stanley.

Ms McDonald told Morning Ireland she was only fully briefed on the complaint after Mr Stanley resigned, but was first made aware of it in August. Ms McDonald cited internal investigatory mechanisms as being “at arm’s length to the party”.

“I make no apology to anybody for the fair, impartial observance of the rules and standards of the party,” she said.

In response, Mr Donohoe said: ““That leads us to ask the question, did she not ask? And if not, why not? And if she did ask, but didn’t get an answer, why did that happen to her?” Mr Donohoe said.

“These are really serious questions that cut to the leadership approach of a party that is still aspiring to lead a government. You can be impartial and informed at the same time.

“Being aware of an issue doesn’t mean you undermine the impartiality of how that issue is being dealt with.” Mr Donohoe said a defence of “I don’t know” isn’t credible for Ms McDonald to make.

He also questioned why Sinn Féin only referred the matter to gardaí following Mr Stanley’s resignation from the party.

“Why did that [referral to gardaí] not happen in any of the other weeks leading up to the developments of this weekend? Is it because Sinn Féin believed their own party procedures are more important than referring an issue to guards?” Mr Donohoe said.

“If so, they should say so. If not, they should explain why.” 

The Dublin Central TD said there was an opportunity for transparency on Tuesday, when the Dáil is due to hear statements on child protection — which stemmed from a controversy surrounding references provided to a former party press officer Michael McMonagle.

“We’ve seen a series of revelations in which key facts and key figures, the story continues to evolve and change, which is why it is so important in the time ahead, that all the facts be laid out and that full transparency be afforded to what looks to be a very, very serious matter,” Mr Donohoe said.

Asked if the three coalition parties would support a new Sinn Féin TD to be appointed as chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to replace Mr Stanley, Mr Donohoe said the role had always been treated “in a very impartial and non-party political way”.

However, he said some PAC members wanted to know the key facts of the controversy before a new chair was appointed.

“That appears to me to be a very appropriate way before a final decision is made,” Mr Donohoe said.