Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan: 'A great loss to the party'

Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan has resigned from the party, citing a lack of support from party leaders.

Ryan was first elected to the Dáil in 2020, having served on Kildare County Council in the year before that. She topped the poll in the Kildare South constituency.

In a statement, Ryan said that she had "no regrets" about her decision to join Sinn Féin, but that she felt she was "no longer able to represent the party in a way that is consistent with my values".

She said that she had been "disappointed" by the party's handling of a number of issues, including the housing crisis and the cost of living.

"I believe that Sinn Féin has lost its way," she said. "The party is now more interested in power than in the people it claims to represent."

Ryan's resignation is a blow to Sinn Féin, which is already facing a number of challenges, including the ongoing row over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

• Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that she is "very disappointed" by Ryan's decision to leave the party.
• McDonald said that Ryan was "a valuable member of the team" and that her loss would be "a great loss to the party".
• McDonald said that she hoped that Ryan would reconsider her decision and that she would return to the party in the future.

It remains to be seen whether Ryan will join another party or whether she will remain an independent TD.

However, her resignation is a sign that Sinn Féin is facing some serious challenges, and that the party's popularity may be on the wane.

Call to action:

What do you think of Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan's decision to leave the party?

Do you think that Ryan's resignation is a sign that Sinn Féin is facing some serious challenges?

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