LAST UPDATE | 5 Dec 2023

MARY LOU MCDONALD has been accused of misleading the Dáil during today’s confidence motion in Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

The Sinn Féin leader told the Dáil that the Government did not contact the school at the centre of the knife attack on 23 November for “nearly two weeks”. 

Referring to the attack outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire in Dublin City, McDonald said today: “It took nearly two weeks for Government to reach out to the school community.”

Responding to her comment, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar accused McDonald of engaging in “absolutely disgraceful behaviour” and asked her to retract her comment. 

“The leader of the opposition has quite disgracefully misled the Dail. There was contact from the Government with the school within 24 hours of the events.

“Several ministers did so. She knows that, it’s deliberate misleading and it should be withdrawn. I call on her to be decent for once and withdraw it,” the Taoiseach said. 

McDonald refused to do so and said she had stated “facts”.

Minister for Education Norma Foley said in the Dáil today that the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPs) were there “every single day” to support the school community after the attack. 

Foley said it was “shameful” to see the politicking that was going on in the Dáil chamber from those who “should know better”.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe also used his time during the motion debate to call out McDonald for her statement. 

“Before I outline the reasons for my support for Minister McEntee I want to address what was a disgraceful and at times disturbing speech from the Leader of the Opposition,” he said. 

He accused her of knowing “it is wrong” to allege that it took two weeks for the Government to engage with the school community.

Donohoe added: “We know we have more that needs to be done but exactly at the moment when our country needed unity, Sinn Féin offered division.

“When our communities needed stability, you offered instability and when people wanted calmness and moderation, all you had was a loud and angry voice.”

On the morning after the attack outside the school – in which three children were injured alongside their carer – Minister for Education Norma Foley told RTÉ Radio 1′s Morning Ireland Programme that she had been in touch with the school principal.

“I’ve spoken with the school principal and he’s very appreciative of the great work and support that is being provided by so many – by the gardaí, the emergency response, the local community.

“It’s a great, great school. I know that school. I’ve visited that school and I was there again just early this summer where we turned the sod for a new school,” the Minister said. 

Minister of State in the Department of Education, Josepha Madigan also used her Dáil time today to ask McDonald to withdraw her comment. 

She said she was “absolutely gobsmacked” by what Mary Lou McDonald said. 

Madigan said the school had received assistance from NEPs “within hours”.

She called McDonald “Mary Lou Trump” and accused her of spreading fake news.

“NEPS Educational Psychological Service was in the school by 2 o’clock that day and you’re saying here as a fact, Mary Lou Trump ‘fake news’, that the school received no assistance for two whole weeks,” she said. 

McDonald again refused to withdraw her comment.

Madigan added: “You have ‘public order Pearse’ here and Mary Lou ‘Trump’, how can anybody believe anything that comes out of your mouths.”

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said this evening:

“The first time a Government minister met with the parents of Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire was last night.

“This was twelve days after the horrific stabbing of three children and Leanne Flynn.

“Mary Lou McDonald met with parents last Friday and they told her of their anger that no Minister had met with them.”