Timeline of events in complaint against Sinn Féin’s Brian Stanley

July 26: A complaint is lodged with Sinn Féin from a “longstanding member” about the Laois-Offaly TD. In a statement, Mr Stanley says that this was the first day of a 10-day nomination process opened for members such as himself to be considered as candidates for the next general election. The complaint, he says, had the effect of “preventing me of having any hope of contesting it as a Sinn Féin candidate for Laois”.

July 29: Mr Stanley claims that he made party leader Mary Lou McDonald aware of the complaint in person.

July 31: Mr Stanley says that he and his solicitor wrote to Sinn Féin “to ascertain what was the nature of this complaint”.

August 2: This is when Ms McDonald claimed on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that the party had become aware of the complaint.

September 11: Mr Stanley claims that “both myself and my legal representative brought certain serious matters to the attention of the “panel” on September 11. He says that the matter should have been referred to gardaí then.

In the meantime, the panel, made up of a senior counsel and two party members, continued its investigations.

October 4: The preliminary inquiry process concludes, with findings written up and sent to both Mr Stanley and the complainant. Each are given seven days to respond to the findings, which are understood to have included a gross misconduct finding against the TD.

October 12: Mr Stanley resigns from Sinn Féin, launching a scathing attack on the process. He says that in recent months “a certain clique within the party have gone to extreme lengths to damage my reputation and character. No efforts have been spared by them in this regard”.

He says: “Given what has transpired and the work of my legal team, what is very clear is this process lacked objectivity, was seriously flawed and was devoid of impartiality. This ‘inquiry’ has been shown to have lacked any shred of credibility, not least due to a significant abuse of process. In many ways it resembled a type of kangaroo court. Legal examination of this matter will continue.”

October 13: The matter is referred to gardaí, with Ms McDonald saying that the nature of the complaint and the counter-allegation meant that they had been referred to gardaí out of “an abundance of caution”.

October 14: Ms McDonald says on RTÉ radio that she cannot say whether the complaint is criminal. Mr Stanley issues a statement through his solicitor contradicting parts of the interview.