Mary Lou McDonald insists Sinn Féin TDs 'feel heard' as leadership questions rumble on

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

Mary Lou McDonald has continued to defend her leadership of Sinn Féin and said her party TDs “absolutely” feel she listens to them.

It comes after The Sunday Times reported that there was dissatisfaction with Ms McDonald’s leadership within the party amid pressure on Sinn Féin to win a seat in the upcoming by-elections on May 22nd.

Ms McDonald has led the party since 2018, when she took over from Gerry Adams.

The party won the second-largest number of seats in the Dáil at the last general election (39), behind Fianna Fáil (48) and ahead of Fine Gael (38).

I am always open to - and in fact grateful for - accurate, constructive criticism

The party is contesting two by-elections, one in Galway West and the other in Ms McDonald’s home constituency of Dublin Central.

The Sinn Féin candidate for Dublin Central is Janice Boylan, a councillor who failed to get elected as Ms McDonald’s running mate in the 2024 election.

Speaking on Monday, Ms McDonald said there was “a whole lot of, with all due respect, hot air” in relation to the reported pressure on her leadership.

She said that hours after The Sunday Times report, “I am re-elected as the leader of the party” at Sinn Féin’s Ard Fheis in Belfast.

“I think that answers the question,” she told Virgin Media’s Monday With Gavan Reilly programme.

“The party has decided that I am the leader of the party, and by the way, we are a collective leadership, I’m at the helm. I lead the team.”

She said discussions around the direction of the party happen “all of the time” and include constructive criticism.

“I am always open to – and in fact grateful for – accurate, constructive criticism,” she said.

“The last thing any leader worth her salt seeks is sugar-coated reassurances.

“You need to get the facts, you need to get a sense of what’s happening on the ground and people’s analysis around what we need to prioritise, how we need to campaign, whether or not we’re reaching people, how we best serve the people that elect us.”

Asked if Sinn Féin TDs feel satisfied and heard, she said: “I am absolutely sure that they do.

“For all of us, this enterprise, being involved in Sinn Féin, running for public office, being in a leadership position for me and for my colleagues, this isn’t a vanity project.

“This is hard work. It requires commitment. It requires stamina.”

She said the aim of the party was Irish unity, social equality and social justice, and “not about whether or not Mary Lou is being rumbled”.

She said the mid 20s was a “very, very good polling rate” in response to the Business Post/Red C Research poll published on Sunday, and said her job was to ensure that Sinn Fein is “match fit when that general election presents” and that they have the right policies and “enough in the tank to really run a strong campaign to get Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael out”.