Questions remain as Sinn Féin bids to weather storm

The major Dáil set piece event where Sinn Féin tried to break free from the controversies that have recently ensnared the party might be over, but questions remain.

There will likely be a continued focus on the failure to tell the Oireachtas why Niall Ó Donnghaile departed the Seanad last December.

Concerns over his mental health was the reason cited by Mary Lou McDonald.

This was the thinking that underpinned the decision not to reveal that an "unacceptable" inappropriate text he sent to a teenager led to his departure from political life.

The lingering political charge is that this amounted to a cover up.

Then there is the complaint against Brian Stanley - described in the Dáil as very serious, so much so that it left a woman distressed and traumatised.

His counter-allegation is also described as serious, to such an extent that the party advised him to take the matter to the gardaí.

But what next?

There are possibly three acts left to play out in this Sinn Féin crisis.

The first is the ongoing call on Brian Stanley to reveal details of the complaints.

If he did so it would turbocharge this crisis.

Thus far there are no indications that he will take this course of action.

Plus, given that the matter is with the gardaí anyway, it could be argued that it might be problematic to do so.

Roll on then to the next political battleground.

It is the replacement of Brian Stanley as chairperson of the high profile Dáil Public Accounts Committee.

Other parties say they will not play ball with Sinn Féin on this, although all precedent suggests the role is theirs to assign.

The next step in the process will see a Sinn Féin TD being nominated to replace Brian Stanley when the Dáil Committee of Selection meets after 11am tomorrow.

The matter goes back to the Dáil for approval on Tuesday and that is where things could become fraught if other parties oppose the move.

There are many who believe that the Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, who is currently deputy chair, should, in football parlance, get the post until the end of the season.

And the season is short, there are most likely only two or three PAC meetings left before the election is called.

But this is not going to be agreeable to Sinn Féin who are intent on legitimately retaining the prestigious political position.

The rules, if not the prevailing political sentiment, seem to support the validity of that view.

Then there is the possible third act.

There was a hint of how this might unfold in the final lines of Mary Lou McDonald's Dáil speech.

There she castigated the other political parties for their cynicism and hypocrisy but said nothing further on the day.

What it possibly means is that Sinn Féin has amassed material which it believes undermines the lofty positions their opponents have taken over the past fortnight.

Some of the accusations have been out there before, others have come to light more recently it seems.

The question is will Sinn Féin use Dáil privilege to reveal some of this potential political dynamite, or will it choose to hold off and hope that the storm is now beginning to pass?

We should know soon enough.