Longstanding Laois Councillor leaves Sinn Fein

A longstanding Laois Sinn Fein Councillor has resigned from the party and decided to remain as an Independent.  

Cllr Aidan Mullins, who has been a member of Sinn Fein since 1973, will remain on at Laois County Council as an Independent Councillor in the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

He decided to quit the party after being suspended by the party for comments he made on X, formerly Twitter. 

The Portarlington based Councillor said he “had thought long and hard” about his decision but he believes Sinn Fein has lost its way and has become “out of touch” with the electorate. 

He cited the party’s vote on the Hate Speech Bill and its stance on the rejected referendums on Family and Care showed “more evidence that they haven’t their finger on the pulse”. He also said Sinn Fein had gotten the recent local elections “totally wrong”. 

Cllr Mullins said the party weren’t holding the government to account on issues such as immigration. 

He claimed that when he had raised legitimate questions about the government’s handling of immigration he wasn’t supported and he was accused of being racist by a party member. 

“I was accused of being racist by one of the party members,” he explained. He said a complaint was lodged with the party and a review of his comments was undertaken.

“The outcome of that review of the complaint determined that I was in breach of the ethics charter,” he said. 

“They told me they were going to suspend me for three months. That was the final straw,” he revealed.  

Having spoken with his family over the weekend, Cllr Mullins decided to leave the party and continue as an Independent Councillor. 

He wished Sinn Fein well. “I hope they improve and get it right,” Cllr Mullins remarked. 

Local Sinn Fein TD and Sinn Fein party headquarters have both been contacted in relation to the resignation.