Toibin suspended from SF for six months

Sinn Fein has suspended Peadar Tóibín  from the party for six months. 
His suspension follows his refusal to toe the party line by voting against the abortion legislation in the Dáil last month. 
 Deputy Toibin had said last week it was inevitable he would be suspended from the party.
If a general election is called during the suspension, he will be unable to run as a Sinn Fein candidate in the next election.
"I don't know the date of the next election, so it is impossible to say anything else about it, except that I dearly hope that I can fight the election for Sinn Fein with my comrades," he said.
The Sinn Féin party leader Mary Lou McDonald  had warned last April that Sinn Fein TDs voting again the party  whip  would face suspension from the party. 
The suspension comes into effect immediately

Deputy Toibin was suspended from the party for six months in 2013 when he voted against legislation introducing limited abortion based on the X-case.

He has always been unapologetically pro-life and says he couldn't vote in favour of the legislation.

 He said today that he had been a member of Sinn Fein for 20 years and  he hoped in the future,  he will be able to remain in Sinn Fein to pursue these objectives.

"This is a challenging issue, I have many good friends in the party and hope to be able to continue to work with them.

"It would be a desperate pity if it was this issue only that separated us."

The first vote on the Termination of Pregnancy Bill passed in the Dáil last week by 102 votes to 12.