Child abuse victim calls for Sean O Fearghail to resign amid row over letter he wrote for abuser

A victim of child sexual abuse has called for the chair of the Dáil, Sean O Fearghail, to resign in the wake of a letter the speaker wrote for the abuser.

Child abuse victim calls for Sean O Fearghail to resign amid row over letter he wrote for abuser

A victim of child sexual abuse has called for the chair of the Dáil, Sean O Fearghail, to resign in the wake of a letter the speaker wrote for the abuser.

Mr O Fearghail claimed he was not in a position to campaign for the ending of the practice of character references being made by elected representatives for people facing abuse charges.

Shane Dempsey and his sister Emma-Jane had in recent days been calling for an apology from Mr O Fearghail, who in 2006 had written a reference for Mr Dempsey’s abuser ahead of his court sentencing.

They also called for an end to politicians writing references for people in such circumstances.

After a report in the Irish Examiner stating that Mr Dempsey had rejected a "self-serving statement" made by Mr O Fearghail explaining his actions during the trial, and the subsequent media fallout from same, it has now emerged that Mr O Fearghail wrote to Mr Dempsey last night to stress that he could not be party to any campaign due to his constitutional role as Ceann Comhairle.

In that letter, which was delivered by hand to Mr Dempsey’s door, Mr O Fearghail “unreservedly” apologises for his actions in 2006 and for the “hurt and pain that I have caused to you and your family by providing a reference to your uncle”.

“Out of deference to this Office, I cannot engage in campaigning nor can I actively participate in political matters,” Mr O Fearghail wrote.

In response to the letter, Mr Dempsey has issued a statement of his own calling for the Ceann Comhairle’s resignation.

“Shane Dempsey is calling for the resignation of the Ceann Comhairle, Sean O Fearghail, for (his) failure to help protect children,” that statement reads, adding that because Mr O Fearghail has suggested his office precludes him from “campaigning”, that “because of this, we believe the time has come to demand the Ceann Comhairle’s resignation”.

Mr O Fearghail has not responded to a request for comment on these developments.

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