Sinn Féin has said that its former TD Brian Stanley was advised to go to the gardaí when he raised matters of concern during a preliminary party inquiry examining a complaint made against him.
However, a party spokesperson said Mr Stanley chose not to do this, adding that he was accompanied by his barrister and solicitor and was fully advised of his rights and entitlements.
The party has confirmed the date it received the complaint about Mr Stanley as 26 July.
The spokesperson said the disciplinary committee contacted the complainant on 1 August, outlining the procedures to make a formal complaint.
"She then submitted a full statement on 2 August. This marked the official commencement of the disciplinary process," they said.
In a statement, the party also restated that on 29 July, the party leader had a brief exchange with Mr Stanley, as outlined on RTÉ's Morning Ireland earlier today.
"In that conversation, Deputy Stanley indicated that he thought that a complaint might be made about him. The nature of the potential complaint was not discussed or disclosed.
"The party leader informed him that any complaint, if made, would be dealt with through the party disciplinary process," they said
The spokesperson added: "Following the completion of the preliminary stage of the inquiry and report, and having taken further legal advice the party has referred both the complaint and counter allegation to the gardaí.
"It is now for the gardaí to decide if any of the matters we have brought to their attention require further investigation."
SF should have referred complaint to gardaí in September - Stanley
Earlier, Mr Stanley said Sinn Féin should have referred a complaint to gardaí when he brought serious matters to the attention of the party's disciplinary panel on 11 September.
Mr Stanley issued a statement through his solicitor welcoming the fact that Sinn Féin has now referred a complaint to gardaí.
He said party leader Mary Lou McDonald has "stated correctly that the complaint" made against him is "not of a criminal nature".
He said that claims by the party leadership that his rights were protected during the complaints process are "totally incorrect".
Mr Stanley said the complaint was lodged with Sinn Féin on 26 July, which was the day the nomination process opened for members seeking to run in the general election.
"This had the effect of preventing me from having any hope of contesting it as a Sinn Féin candidate for Laois," he said.
Mr Stanley said he made Ms McDonald aware of the complaint on 29 July and he accused her of "giving wrong information by stating it (the complaint) was received on the 2 August".
Earlier, Ms McDonald said she was not in a position to comment on the allegation made against Mr Stanley, who is set to be removed from his role as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee following his resignation from Sinn Féin at the weekend.
It is expected that Sinn Féin will today move to replace the Laois TD in the high-profile position.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms McDonald said the original complaint, which was made through a statement on 2 August, was not of a criminal nature.
She said: "Had the initial complaint been of a criminal nature, it would have gone straight to An Garda Síochána."
Ms McDonald added: "I want to be clear here: I am not in a position to say whether or not the complaint or the counter-allegation meet the standard for criminal investigation. That's not my job.
"But I am far happier that the complaint and the counter-allegation are now in the hands of the gardaí and they can do what they deem to be appropriate."
Ms McDonald said she does not personally know the person who made a complaint against Mr Stanley.
She said she had been made aware of the existence of the complaint in early August.
However, she said she was not aware of the specifics of the complaint, claiming the whole investigatory process "is at arm's length to the party".
"I make no apology to anybody for the fair, impartial observance of the rules and standards of the party," she said.
Both parties to the complaint were originally due to come back for comment on a preliminary draft this morning but Mr Stanley resigned in the interim.
Ms McDonald said she was first fully briefed on the matter after his resignation on Saturday night.
Asked about the decision to refer the complaint and counter-allegation to gardaí, she said: "Yes, I was party to that decision and I stand over it."
She said: "The referral to An Garda Síochána was made in an abundance of caution, because I was not happy, nor would I be happy, with the party left with a serious complaint and a serious counter-allegation."
She added: "A process has been cut short by Deputy Stanley walking away and I want matters concluded."
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Ms McDonald said the preliminary conclusions of a party investigation into the matter had made no final findings or recommendations, including whether or not the matter should be referred to gardaí.
"I am very much in charge of this party and, as the person with whom the buck does stop, I am absolutely insistent that rules and procedures are applied rigorously.
"I appreciate this is probably an unusual thing in Irish public or political life, that actually rules exist and rules are applied, and then the consequences and fallout of those rules becomes manifest, but that's what you're seeing here."
She added: "We are a party that is more than fit for government. We have procedures that work, that holds people to account, and, let me say, in my opinion and in my experience, there has been far too little accountability in Irish public life and in Irish political parties.
"You see under my leadership, without fear - and I will not be cowed on this point - the rules get applied, the processes are respectful, they protect everybody's rights.
"But where the behaviour falls beneath standards, where there has been wrongdoing, people will face the consequences for it."
Mr Stanley departed Sinn Féin on Saturday, saying he had been subjected to a flawed inquiry process that resembled a kangaroo court.
This was strongly rejected by Ms McDonald who insisted his rights were protected throughout the process adding that he had a barrister and solicitor present at a disciplinary panel meeting.
There followed a counter allegation, and the internal party process has now been suspended with the matter passed to gardaí.
However, the Tánaiste has questioned whether or not Sinn Féin should have referred allegations surrounding Mr Stanley to gardaí earlier.
Public Accounts Committee members James O'Connor and Ciarán Cannon said they will not co-operate with any newly appointed Sinn Féin chair until Ms McDonald makes a full statement to the Dáil.
has called on Sinn Féin to explain why it did not pass the complaint to gardaí in July.
Mr Stanley's departure from Sinn Féin comes just days after Kildare-South TD Patricia Ryan resigned from the party.
Ms Ryan said she has been unhappy for around 18 months and has been asking Sinn Féin to deal with issues, but said they were left to "fester".
She said she had issues about being curtailed in what she would put up on Facebook, and with members being asked about questions for the leader in advance of meetings.
Additional reporting PA
