Derry Daily
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sport
  • Features
  • Courts
  • Business
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Jobs
Thursday 22°CFriday 24°C

Derry Daily Derry Daily Derry Daily

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sport
  • Features
  • Courts
  • Business
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Jobs
CoronavirusDerry CityNewsPolitics

Sinn Féin’s Elisha McCallion resigns over Covid-19 grant money

written by cassoscoop October 29, 2020
ShareTweet

Sinn Fein Senator Elisha McCallion has quit over Coronavirus business payment

FORMER Foyle MP Elisha McCallion and two other Sinn Féin officials have resigned over a failure to return money given out by a Stormont emergency Covid fund.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said she apologised for their “failures”.

It had emerged that three Sinn Féin offices received £10,000 payments from the fund, which have since been repaid.

MP and MLA constituency offices are ineligible for the scheme.

In a statement, Ms McDonald said she had accepted the resignations of Mrs McCallion, as a senator in the Seanad (Irish Senate), as well as the chair of the party’s Upper Bann constituency association and an official in the party’s west Tyrone office.

She said she had accepted the resignation of the west Tyrone official who had failed to return the money “despite being requested to do so” by MLA for the area, Maolíosa McHugh.

Mrs McCallion apologised “unreservedly” on Thursday afternoon, saying the grant was lodged into a joint account of which she is a named signature with her husband.

“I fully accept that as a named signature on the account that I should have taken extra steps to verify this situation, before it was brought to my attention on Tuesday.”

She said the money was repaid in full on Tuesday.

Payments from the fund were sent out automatically to 7,000 bank accounts, but it has emerged that some of the accounts which received the money were ineligible.

Sinn Féin said its offices did not qualify nor did it apply for the scheme.

The party said the funds received by three of its offices had been returned to Land and Property Services, which administered the grant.

But Ms McDonald said the money was only paid back on Monday and Tuesday of this week, months after they were received.

She said all those involved had been “censured” by the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle (party executive).

“Last night I accepted the resignation of Senator Elisha McCallion. She accepts full responsibility for the failure to return the grant immediately,” she said.

Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill tweeted that the party viewed the situation very seriously and had taken “decisive action”.

Ms McDonald added that the chairperson of the Upper Bann constituency organisation had tendered their resignation after failing to return the money in a “timely fashion”.

“The Small Business Grant scheme was established to support struggling businesses in times of extraordinary hardship,” she said.

“The failure to immediately return grants erroneously paid into Sinn Féin accounts is a most serious situation.”

Figures released by the Department for the Economy (DfE) show that 24,700 payments were processed under the Small Businesses Grant Support Scheme.

There were 452 payments, totalling more than £4.5m, which were made to those who may not have been eligible.

The DUP, SDLP, Ulster Unionist Party and Alliance have all said that none of their MPs or MLAs received money from the Small Businesses Grant Support Scheme.

Earlier on Thursday, it emerged that the landlord of a DUP office received a payment from Stormont’s emergency Covid-19 fund for small businesses.

DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton

DUP MLA Gary Middleton said he did not know which office was involved.

Mr Middleton told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster on Thursday: “I can be very clear in terms of DUP MLAs, MPs, representatives, that no payments were made to those elected reps.

“I am led to believe that there was one case of a landlord having received the payment.

“That landlord should repay that money if that is the case.”

Mr Middleton said he was not aware if the money had been repaid.

He said the assembly standards commissioner should investigate the Sinn Féin payments, adding the party faced “serious questions” about when the funds were returned.

Sinn Féin’s Elisha McCallion resigns over Covid-19 grant money was last modified: October 30th, 2020 by cassoscoop

Tags:
dupELISHA MCCALLIONFormer Foyle MPFOYLE MLAGARY MIDDLETONSenatorSinn Féin's Elisha McCallion resigns over Covid-19 grant money
ShareTweet
cassoscoop

LEAVE A COMMENT

You may also like

Derry bishops call for calm in city...

3 hours ago

Driver caught speeding at 106mph on A6...

4 hours ago

Derry businesses explore digital futures at Immersive...

4 hours ago

Derry and Strabane schools complete pioneering Zero...

8 hours ago

Third night of rioting in Derry as...

10 hours ago

Police appeal over hit-and-run collision in Co...

1 day ago

Derry council celebrates tourism growth amid NI-wide...

1 day ago

11 people arrested over second night of...

1 day ago

Mayor urges families to join in Carnival...

1 day ago

Eastwood: Derry disorder threatens young people’s future

1 day ago

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Email

Features

  • Sun, sea, spectacular views, historical charm and fabulous food. Tunisia of course

    April 5, 2024
  • Magical trip to see Santa from Belfast

    December 20, 2023
  • DD Travel Feature: Cork’s amazing The Montenotte Hotel

    April 18, 2023
  • Derry cancer survivor Noeleen McMorris reveals importance of awareness

    July 25, 2022
  • Competition! Win tickets to Northern Ireland v England Women’s Euro 2022 match

    June 17, 2022

Courts

  • Gardai face legal action over investigation into Denis Donaldson’s murder

    June 16, 2025
  • Three Derry men fined over illegal fishing in Donegal

    June 9, 2025
  • Derry man who sexually assaulted young woman in Buncrana park jailed for 3 years

    June 8, 2025
  • Man and woman charged to Derry court over drugs offences

    June 8, 2025
  • Two Derry men jailed over one of Europe’s largest illegal dumps

    June 6, 2025

Donegal Daily

    Read More

    • News
    • Sport
    • Courts
    • Jobs
    • Features
    • Business
    • Politics

    Information

    • Contact Us
    • About
    • Advertise WIth Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    Derry Daily

    © 2025 Derry Daily. All rights reserved.


    Back To Top

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy