Connolly must publish all details of her taxpayer funded militia guided tour of Syria – Ward

Catherine Connolly must publish all details of her taxpayer funded trip to Syria after it was revealed that she was chaperoned by a milita leader and supporter of Assad.

Speaking after the latest Presidential Election broadcast debate, Deputy Barry Ward said the Independent TD has refused to be anyway clear in her 2018 trip to the war-torn country.

Photos were published today of Catherine Connolly alongside Saed Abd Al-Aal, who led a pro-Assad armed group responsible for killing and starvation in a refugee camp.

Former MEPs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were also on the June 2018 trip, which occurred a month after Assad forces violently seized the camp. One of Deputy Connolly’s tour guides was Saed Abd Al-Asl – the commander of the man known as the Butcher of Yarmouk.

“The exact question put to Catherine Connolly on July 16th last by a journalist was: ‘Why did you go there? And who funded that trip?’ She immediately replied: ‘I funded that trip.’,” Deputy Ward said.

“This month, it emerged that the taxpayer funded the trip to the tune of €3,700.

“Catherine Connolly has completely refused to admit this.

“It is plain as day and should be called out as such. The taxpayer funded trip to the dictator’s regime is listed under the heading ‘Research and Development’ and filed with SIPO by Deputy Connolly herself.

“Deputy Connolly described it again this morning on Morning Ireland as ‘a fact finding mission’.

“The fact is she was given a guided tour by a militia leader and armed supporter of Assad who murdered Palestinians. And the taxpayer funded it.

“In 2018, the Independent TD met Assad terrorists for guided tours.

In 2019, she hired a gun criminal”.

Deputy Barry Ward added that all details on the 2018 trip must be published and all questions answered, including:

• Did Catherine Connolly, using public funds, pay the militia to show her their devastating path of violence?
• Who organised the trip?
• How were they sourced?
• What was the itinerary?
• Provide a detailed breakdown of how €3,700 of public funds were spent.
• Why didn’t Catherine Connolly admit to using public funds for the trip?

“All details must be published.

“We need clear answers – not obfuscation, non-answers and fudge, which is all this Presidential candidate has offered so far.

“Publish all details of this trip of murderous Assad’s guided tour which the Irish taxpayer paid for,” Deputy Ward concluded.