Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has suggested he will set up a new political party, after resigning from the Sinn Féin party.

In a tweet, he said: "It is with a heavy heart that I resign from Sinn Féin today.

"I have been a member of the party for 21 years.

"In that time I poured all my efforts into achieving Irish unity and economic justice.

"This clearly is no longer enough. I will now help to build a new 32 county movement."

He claimed he wrote to the party chairman two weeks ago, to find out if there was a future for him to contribute to the development of the party.

But he said this letter was not replied to.

"That may be an answer in itself," he wrote.

It is with a heavy heart that I resign from Sinn Féin today. I have been a member of the party for 21 years. In that time I poured all my efforts into achieving Irish Unity & Economic Justice. This clearly is no longer enough. I will now help to build a new 32 County movement. pic.twitter.com/RqzimdR8Zp

— Peadar Tóibín (@Toibin1) November 15, 2018

Deputy Toibin said it was agreed in November 2012 that the party would not marginalise him for his views on the right to life.

However he said that deal was "binned unilaterally by the party" over 18 months ago.

"I have lost speaking rights, spokespersons positions, portfolios and have been significantly censored in my engagements with the media", he added.

Mr Tóibín was recently suspended from the party for six months, for voting against abortion legislation.

'Sinn Féin policy'

In response to his resignation, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said: "It is with regret that I have learned of the resignation of Peadar Tóbin from Sinn Féin.

"Peadar was a valued member of the party. Sinn Féin is home to a diversity of views; we debate and our members vote on policy at our Ard Fheis.

"All Sinn Féin elected representatives are bound by the decisions of the Ard Fheis.

"The people voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment. There is a responsibility on all Sinn Fein TDs to give effect to the people’s vote and to represent Sinn Féin policy.

"Unfortunately Peadar was unable to do this and was suspended from the party and has now taken the decision to resign.

"I wish Peadar and his family well for the future."

'New party'

Mr Tóibín has said a number of Fianna Fail TDs are potentially interested in joining a new political party he is hoping to set up.

"I've got a lot of phone calls from disaffected Sinn Féiners, a lot of people actually from Fianna Fáil believe it or not, over the last month or two, are absolutely frustrated with Micheál Martin's - what they call - 'the two fingers' to the membership on so many different issues.

"Those individuals are desperately crying out for some kind of platform to allow them work for the objectives that they have".

"Over the next month my aim is to travel as many of the 32 counties as I can, to speak to people who are of similar views with regards unity and economic justice, etc as myself for the propose of developing some kind of platform, movement or political organisation to allow for those policies to be worked upon".