Sinn Féin TD confirms he broke travel limit to attend funeral

Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly has defended his attendance at the funeral of a member of the party in west Kerry, around 50kms from his home in Tralee.

The current Covid-19 travel restriction is 5km, including for funerals, unless those of close relatives.

Mr Daly, who took the second seat for Sinn Féin in the five-seater Kerry constituency last February, helped shoulder the coffin of Seán Máirtín Bácéir (63) into Milltown cemetery in Dingle, along with former TD Martin Ferris.

Mr Bácéir from Coimín, Ballydavid, died after sustaining injuries when he fell from a ladder at his home.

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The coffin was draped in the tricolour, and Mr Daly and Mr Ferris helped to carry it from the hearse into the cemetery.

In a statement Mr Daly, said: “I can confirm that I did attend the funeral of Seán Máirtín Bácéir on Friday last and I did help carry his coffin from the hearse into the graveyard.

“I did this out of the respect that I had for Seán Máirtín and his family.”

The late Mr Máirtín canvassed for Mr Daly as well as for Mr Ferris. The latter described him as a person with a great social consciousness all his life “and someone with a natural empathy for people struggling against injustice”.

Mr Daly, a solicitor and councillor, was selected to run for Sinn Féin after Mr Ferris’s daughter, Toireasa, pulled out in what was a shock for the party.