Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson has defended her party leadership's decision to end Eoin Hayes TD's suspension over his previous shares in a US tech firm with Israeli defence forces contracts.
Speaking to reporters after attending the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee's Occupied Territories Bill report launch, Senator Stephenson also said she did not believe that any TD or senator would quit the party over the controversy.
Last Friday, Mr Hayes - a first-time TD for Dublin Bay South - was readmitted to the Social Democrats after a near eight-month suspension.
Deputy Hayes had been suspended weeks after last November's general election, and before the new Dáil had even sat, due to revelations he provided incorrect information to the media about the sale of shares in his former employer Palantir Technologies.
However, he was readmitted to the party, with Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan saying he believed Deputy Hayes "should be given a second chance".
Yesterday, Deputy O'Callaghan's administrative assistant quit the party over the decision.
Asked during a press conference on the Occupied Territories Bill report about the decision to readmit Deputy Hayes to the Social Democrats, party senator Patricia Stephenson initially declined to comment, saying she would speak with the media after the event.
After the event, the Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson said when asked if she is happy with the decision to readmit Deputy Hayes: "I think the way Cian O'Callaghan handled that was very well and strong and I fully support Cian O'Callaghan in his decision making."
She responded to questions over whether she believes other party members may leave over the issue by saying:
"I don't believe the parliamentary party members will leave and I can't speak for voters, because obviously there's a lot of divergence of views."
Senator Stephenson had earlier told journalists that Deputy Hayes had made a mistake, broken people's trust and had to rebuild that trust in the coming period.
