Máiría Cahill has said that she does not consider herself as a republican anymore and she does not accept the legitimacy of an armed struggle.
She told RTÉ's Drivetime that she is deeply sorry for her involvement in the Republican Network for Unity and that it coincided with a vulnerable point in her life.
"I didn't think about it at the time and I've had a lot of reflection since" she said.
She said she became National Secretary of the RNU after she was elected at a meeting, but after a few hours, she resigned from that position.
She said she resigned because she did not want the position and that she was pregnant at the time.
"I was thinking more about my relationships with people within that organisation. I had just gone public with my own experiences and it was a very difficult time" she said.
Ms Cahill said her decision to remain a member of the RNU was "wrong". She said "I think people should be allowed to move on once they take responsibility for something."
She said that the Labour Party has recognised her track record on issues associated with social justice.
She said she is not running for the Seanad to "say anything around Sinn Féin. I don't need the privilege; I haven't needed it in the past".
