Eoin Hayes will sit as an independent after being suspended by the Social Democrats.
The Dublin Bay South TD, who won the final seat in the constituency in November’s election at the expense of Sinn Féin’s Chris Andrews, has been suspended from the party as a result of the Palantir affair.
Hayes worked for Palantir in the US from 2015 to 2017, with the company having ties to Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Israeli government.
As part of his compensation package, Hayes was given shares but could not sell them until a pre-determined date (early 2021).
The implication that Hayes did not sell his shares until well after the Israeli invasion of Gaza started has raised eyebrows.
“In January, the company signed a new strategic partnership with the Israeli Defence Ministry. I should have sold my shares then and I deeply regret that I did not,” Hayes said.
A plinth outside Leinster House on Tuesday afternoon turned into a crossfire as Hayes told reporters he had sold his shares in the Palantir prior to his election to Dublin City Council in June only to backtrack and say he didn’t sell his shares until July, after his election.
In a statement on Tuesday, deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan confirmed “this is a serious matter. It is imperative that the media, who hold politicians to account on behalf of the public, can rely on the information they receive from elected representatives.”
“For that reason, Eoin Hayes has been suspended from the Social Democrats parliamentary party with immediate effect.”
Hayes confirmed his plans to sit in the Dáil as an independent when the Dáil meets for the first time on December 18th.
In a separate statement, Hayes said “I remain fully committed to the principles and ideals that the Social Democrats stand for, and that I sought to communicate to the electorate during the recent election period.”
“That said, I fully appreciate the need for – and accept – the decision which was taken today.”
Sinn Féin’s director of elections Matt Carthy said that had Hayes’ misgivings had come to light during the election campaign, he would not have been elected as a TD and Chris Andrews would still hold his seat.
Carthy alleged that Hayes “profited personally from a company that benefited from Israeli breaches of international law.”
“He misled journalists and was not forthcoming in terms of the period of time in which he held these shares and the time in which he divested from those shares.”
“He was therefore elected on false pretences, and I believe the honourable thing for him to do is to resign his seat.”
“I firmly believe that if the electorate of Dublin Bay South were aware of the information that we are aware of today that Eoin Hayes would not be a TD, and that Chris Andrews, somebody who has a long standing record in support of the people of Palestine as well as the people of Dublin, would be,” he said.