Sinn Fein party member expelled as partner arrested in far-right probe

A Sinn Fein party member has been expelled as her partner was arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged planned attack on a Galway mosque.

The party confirmed the partner of a female member of the party had been arrested as part of the cross-border investigation.

Two men appeared in court in Co Laois last week charged with possession of explosives in relation to an alleged planned attack on a Galway mosque on behalf of a far-right extremist group.

A third man, in his 30s, was arrested on Wednesday as part of the investigation.

He was released without charge on Thursday pending a Garda file being prepared for the director of public prosecutions.

Sinn Fein’s national chairman Declan Kearney said the party was informed on Friday that the home of a female party member and her partner had been raided as part of the counter terror probe.

The partner was later arrested, Mr Kearney said.

He said the woman was expelled from the party on Saturday because “she failed to notify the party that her home was raided or inform the party about the associated seriousness of this situation”.

Both the woman and her partner had previously been signed in to the Irish Parliament at Leinster House by Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein TD for Cavan-Monaghan Matt Carthy said the woman was a member of the party for “less than a year” and her partner was not a member.

Mr Carthy said: “The party take these matters incredibly seriously.

“As soon as we became aware of what had happened, we had convened a meeting of the party leadership and the decision was made to immediately expel this party member for not informing the party about the fact that her house had been raided.”

He said the party’s head office was made aware of the incident by another party member in Co Laois.

It is not thought any other member of the party is involved, Mr Carthy said.

A party press officer later said the now-expelled Sinn Fein member and her partner were signed in to Leinster House on two occasions.

They were signed in by Senator Maria McCormack for an endometriosis debate in the Dail on July 16, and they were also signed in by a staff member in the senator’s office, at her request, on the day of a housing protest outside the Dail on June 17.

The two men charged in court last week appeared again before a judge in Co Laois on Thursday in relation to possession of explosives charges.

Karolis Peckauskas, 38, of Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda, Co Louth, is charged with one offence of possession of six litres of hydrogen peroxide.

He was refused bail and was remanded in custody for four weeks until December 11.

Garrett Pollock, 35, with an address at Kilhorne Green, Annalong, Co Down, is charged with two offences: possession of the components of three pipe-bomb type improvised explosive devices and four incendiary-type improvised explosive devices; and with possession of six litres of hydrogen peroxide.

On Thursday, Pollock briefly appeared before Portlaoise District Court by video link and was remanded in custody until the next court appearance on November 27.