Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry says he’s “disgusted in the extreme” after it emerged members from his own party have previously posed as market researchers to carry out polls.
It’s the third party to acknowledge using the practice in the past.
The story emerged after the Irish Independent reported today that Sinn Féin had provided members with fake IDs and instructions on how to pose as researchers from a fake polling company while knocking on doors around the country.
Sinn Féin has said there was “nothing untoward or deceptive” about the practice, which has now been discontinued.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar admitted this evening Fine Gael had also used a similar practice some time prior to 2016.
Now Fianna Fáil has become the latest party to acknowledge doing so.
In a statement, they said: "Since 2007, the Party has outsourced polling to private, independent providers.
"Prior to 2007, we did on occasion use party members to undertake polling and on those occasions they did pose as market researchers. This was to supplement private providers also used. This practise was ended around 2007."
When the Sinn Féin news emerged earlier, Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry called for gardaí to look into what happened.
Speaking this evening, he said he’s “disgusted in the extreme” to hear members of his party “would in any way misrepresent” themselves.
He said: “I quite frankly call on the leadership now to make a statement.
“If this is the kind of activity that in any way they’d stand over, then resignations are required, frankly.
“I was first out this morning to condemn Sinn Féin… Fine Gael afterwards… and if it is the case that my own party is involved in the same than nothing short of resignations is required.”
He said if the process isn’t currently against the law, then legislation is needed “immediately” to ensure such situations don’t happen again.
