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Liadh Ní Riada says bullying 'was a problem' in Sinn Féin and was partly about age

The presidential hopeful says “a thick skin” is needed in politics.

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PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LIADH Ní Riada has said that “there was a problem” of bullying within Sinn Féin and that it was perhaps to do with a younger age profile of its members. 

Speaking on TheJournal.ie’s The Candidate podcast, the MEP said that issues within Sinn Féin were “no different” to other parties but that “the level of maturity” of people in parties can also play a role.

“Yes, look there were issues. I’m sure every party has issues with it, and we’re no different from any other party in that regard, but Mary Lou has put structures and processes in place to deal with that effectively,” Ní Riada said in the interview. 

There was a problem. I think myself some of it had to do with, and this is no reflection on the people who said they were bullied, bullies shouldn’t be tolerated on any level. But I think they were quite young, and I think it’s because we attract a younger voter I suppose and we try and encourage young people to come on board because it’s their future we’re talking about, they need to be at that table.

“But it’s also about recognising that you do need that certain level of maturity when you’re in public life, you have to develop a bit of a thick skin and maybe those support structures weren’t there. Particularly among the younger people that have left the party or that have had issues with the party,” Ní Riada said. 

During the lengthy interview, Ni Riada also spoke about her reasons for running for the presidency and said that if she won she would address the Oireachtas more frequently.  

She also spoke about her hope that the country is have “a big conversation” on uniting the island and that as president she would hope to “put forward a new vision” about how that would look. 

debate 196_90556333 Presidential candidate Liadh Ni Ríada. Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Asked about Sinn Féin’s treatment of Mairia Cahill, Ní Riada said that her party had to “learn lessons” from how it dealt with Cahill’s abuse allegations against a former IRA member.

“What happened to Mairia Cahill was dreadful, I can’t even imagine as a woman what she’s gone through,” Ní Riada said.

“And I don’t think that anything I say or that Mary Lou says, or anyone else says, can go far enough to apologise for that, you’re never going to undo that.”

And I think it’s how we learn lessons and treat people going forward. And for Mairia Cahill that’s about providing whatever support structures, whatever information that needs to be had, needs to be there for her. 

https://soundcloud.com/the_candidate/thejournalie-interviews-liadh-ni-riada

(Listening on mobile? Click here

Ni Riada also been asked repeatedly about her stance on the HPV vaccine after she told a radio interview in 2016 that she made the decision for one of her daughters not to receive it. 

Speaking on the podcast, Ní Riada said that she fully supports the vaccine and that her concerns related to a lack of information give to parents about it.

“I think as other parents might remember in 2016, it was a very short turnaround, you have something like 24 hours before you could hand in your note. And that was the issue with me, that I didn’t think it sufficed or satisfied me as a parent knowing exactly what effects, what benefits and all of that. I didn’t feel it was comprehensive enough.”

She added:

I’m really glad since then that the uptake has increased hugely and that the HSE has in fact updated all of that. So there is no reason for anyone out there to have any concerns about the HPV vaccine. I fully endorse it, I hope they extend it to boys because anything that’s going to spare anyone from getting cancer. My mother died from breast cancer when I was 10, my first husband died of cancer, so I know the ravages of cancer very well. So if you had told me then there was a vaccine to prevent that, of course I’d be leaping on it.

“The same as I am now for HPV, but my concern was the lack of information. And now that the information has been updated and we’re all absolutely confident of it, I completely and fully endorse it. I was never against it, it was purely on the lack of information that I had a concern as a parent.” 

You can listen to each episode of The Candidate here

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    Mute Willy Malone
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:10 PM

    Only change will come at the polls … Almost 100 years of same same…

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:13 PM

    @Willy Malone: We’ll still be voting for civil war parties in a 100 years time¡¡¡

    64
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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:22 PM

    @Willy Malone:

    One of the most prosperous countries in the world.

    It’s done us quite well.

    Now Venezuela on the other hand. How are they getting on remind us again?

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:25 PM

    @James Nellie: Not that prosperous – with a €200+ billion National Debt, having gone albut bankrupt!

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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:26 PM

    @James Nellie: “One of the most prosperous countries in the world.”

    Nice to hear that you’re doing well personally james. However, the record number of homeless, children in persistent poverty and people dying waiting for hospital treatment might disagree with you.

    94
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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:28 PM

    @The Risen:

    Are you disagreeing Ireland is one of the most prosperous countries in the world?

    Have you travelled much?

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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:32 PM

    @James Nellie: Since the crash, the number of millionaires has more than doubled. During the same period, the number of children living in persistent poverty has also more than doubled, our public healthcare system has been decimated and homelessness is now a national emergency.

    So, it really depends on how you define prosperous. Leprechaun economics or the state of society.

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:33 PM

    @James Nellie: Well, we wouldn’t be in the top 10!

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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:34 PM

    @The Risen:

    Children in persistent poverty?

    Don’t make me laugh. Who’s fault is that?

    Oh of course it’s the government’s. Not the parents who spend all their money on drink smokes gambling etc.

    No personal responsibility anymore just blame the goverment for everything.

    Even though we have one of the most generous welfare systems in the world.

    We have the highest jobless households in Europe. One generation of leeches just pass it onto their kids. Sure just blame the goverment.

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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:37 PM

    ^

    Oh, look who’s back…..

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:39 PM

    @James Nellie: Most generous welfare systems! Even the NHS is free – and much better than the HSE who have more trollies than nurses…

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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:44 PM

    @James Nellie: Prosperous for who? Vulture funds and their political cronies who never saw a brown envelope they didn’t like? People who work are homeless. Three thousand children are homeless. How is that “quite well”? You government apologist stooges are beyond embarrassing!

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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:44 PM

    @Fank Pulman:

    Actually the nhs is in turmoil with waiting lists, lack of doctors, nurses, ambulances etc.

    Don’t know where you get your information.

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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:46 PM

    @DaisyChainsaw:

    There is homeless people in every country in the world.

    Have you the solution to solve it?

    There is 34,000 homeless people in Sweden. The utopia we are told about many time here.

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:46 PM

    @James Nellie: Not nearly as bad as here m8 – and free, even prescriptions. Not many trollies either!¡

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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:50 PM

    @Fank Pulman:

    1 in 2 have medical cards here.

    The health system is also free here.

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:56 PM

    @James Nellie: Not for me. Yet, no problem seeing a UK doctor, anytime – gratis.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Aug 10th 2017, 1:01 PM

    @James Nellie: the main difference between Ireland and Venezuela was that the EU didn’t want ireland to fail because it would threaten their flawed project, and we got into that situation because of the incompetent idiots we’ve got in our gov.

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    Mute The Risen
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    Aug 10th 2017, 1:05 PM

    @James Nellie: “The health system is also free here.”

    LOL!

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    Mute Michael Geraghty
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    Aug 10th 2017, 1:46 PM

    @The Risen: why don’t you compare child poverty to Venezuela or even Sweden. Both higher. Both socialist utopias

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    Mute Derek Poutch
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    Aug 10th 2017, 5:24 PM

    @James Nellie: But according to the “experts” unemployment is nearly down to 5%, yet you say we have one of the highest jobless households in Europe. Methinks more lies from the blueshirts.

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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Aug 10th 2017, 7:00 PM

    @Fank Pulman: As we know that most constituency candidates are selected because of loyalty to the party and electability within the system. They are not interested in selecting the caring Mr nice-guy or the graduate in political science. Iit is more likely to be someone like a teacher or solicitor who knows the form or has relations in the party. I can’t see it changing somehow.

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Aug 10th 2017, 8:50 PM

    @The Risen: is children in poverty also not the parents fault?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:47 PM

    Of those that are classed as Disabled what % are Junkies? Because they too under our current regime are supposedly “Disabled” and get disability payments from welfare.

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    Mute James Nellie
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:52 PM

    @Mick Jordan:

    Of course we must pander to these poor people.

    Our bloated welfare system is gonna implode in a few years and the do gooders will be scratching their heads where it went wrong.

    20 billion a year on welfare.

    Yeah that’s sustainable for a country of 5 million people.

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    Mute Is Mise jay
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    Aug 10th 2017, 4:09 PM

    @James Nellie: welfare include pension and disability ans what would you like to be spent on welfare 5million?? So €1 per capita … get a grip will you

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    Mute Lisa Dorothy
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    Aug 10th 2017, 4:19 PM

    @Mick Jordan: Would you give a person in the throes of an addiction a job?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 10th 2017, 4:59 PM

    @Lisa Dorothy: Can they pick up trash? Can they use a shovel or a pick? Can they grade vegetables? Can they carry timber, blocks or bricks? There are many many functional addicts.

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    Mute Kieran Magennis
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    Aug 10th 2017, 1:04 PM

    These statistics seem meaningless unless they tell us what they mean by ‘Homeless’.

    e.g. Am I ‘Homeless’ if I’m healthy and safe but temporarily sleeping in a friend’s flat until I get a new job and can afford to rent a place of my own?

    Or am I only ‘Homeless’ if I ask the state for help getting a place of my own and the state agrees I need some sort of help?

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    Mute Owen Martin
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    Aug 10th 2017, 3:21 PM

    20 billion spent every year on social welfare. Obviously its working. We should bring in millions of migrants as Eamon Ryan says. That will help.

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    Mute Ro Brett
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    Aug 10th 2017, 4:04 PM

    @Owen Martin: Income inequality is pretty high in Ireland, especially among men. The only reason we manage a medium gini coefficient at all is because of wealth transfers from the well paid to the less well off. Our at-risk-poverty level was 16.9% in 2015 only because of this, without the social transfers it would be at 46.3%.

    To put it another way, the welfare system is working extremely well at keeping literally almost half the country from poverty.

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    Mute ginger tomatoes i9
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    Aug 10th 2017, 6:00 PM

    Curious how homeless defined? 123 rough sleepers but approx 7000 homeless. Some in shelters but does homeless include those on housing list? If so would include some questionable cases e.g. living with parents awaiting availability of social housing.

    Would be nice to get more clarity

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    Mute Shane Hickey
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    Aug 10th 2017, 3:35 PM

    where were the census forms delivered to homeless people or is this just those in hostels?

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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Aug 10th 2017, 4:02 PM

    @Shane Hickey: Census enumerators, with the help of organisations like Simon, VdeP also the guards went out on the night to record the people sleeping rough and in hostels.

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Aug 10th 2017, 11:59 AM

    And this is seen somehow as a good thing by FG?
    Pathetic.

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    Mute Danny foley
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:12 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: the 14% non Irish is bull and we shouldn’t be housing non Irish with Irish tax payers money anyway.

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    Mute Fank Pulman
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:19 PM

    @Danny foley: Leave them on the street then?

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    Mute Michael Collins
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:20 PM

    @Danny foley: we shouldn’t be housing anyone with taxes. Also abolish government regulations and taxes, housing prices will fall and same with homelessness. Are ya on any welfare or rebaits ?

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:24 PM

    @Danny foley: No matter which nationality you are danny, if you are contributing to the exchequer, at the very least a roof over your head should be the minimum.

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    Mute Danny foley
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:31 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: LOL, yeah that’s the model that’ll work. LOL

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    Mute Good Early
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:43 PM

    @Trevor Hayden: These are Leo’s ‘middle-class’

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    Mute Adrian
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    Aug 10th 2017, 7:47 PM

    That just states that even people who are working and earning money are struggling because of the housing crisis, which is horrendous. It’s a shocking indictment of the awful mismanagement of the country by our disgraceful politicians.

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    Mute Dale G-t
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    Aug 11th 2017, 12:12 AM
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    Mute Patrick Kiely
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:34 PM

    So the postman gives census forms to those sleeping rough? Load of crap

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    Mute Patrick Kiely
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    Aug 10th 2017, 12:32 PM

    So the postman delivers the census forms to those sleeping rough???? What a load of crap

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