TD Tóibín out of Sinn Fein for six months

Renegade Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has been suspended by the Sinn Fein party for a period of six months after defying the party whip during the passage of the abortion legislation through the Dail.

As expected, the Navan-based TD stuck to his promise to vote against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, which Sinn Féin has supported.

As a result, Sinn Féin party whip in the Dáil, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, announced this morning that Tóibín would be out in the parliamentary cold for the next six months.

In a statement Ó Snodaigh said that all Sinn Fein TDs were mandated to support the Bill. The decision by Peadar Tóibín to vote against the Sinn Féin position was a serious breach of party rules, he said.

As a consequence, he added that the Meath West TD had been suspended from Sinn Féin for six months with immediate effect.

Deputy Tóibín said this week that he would be hoping to return to the party as soon as possible.