Sunday Times's Mary Lou highlighter 'exposé' is seen through

A SUNDAY TIMES story claiming Mary Lou McDonald TD got 576 highlighter pens from the Oireachtas stationery store in January and February is untrue.

In a half-page report the newspaper claimed a Freedom of Information request showed the office of Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald was issued with 576 highlighters – 48 packets of 12 – prior to the dissolution of the last Dáil.

However, the Oireachtas Stationery Store has confirmed the TD was issued with just four packets of twelve highlighters – 48 pens in total – at a total cost of less than €5.

A number of other news outlets also reported the story also without double-checking the veracity of the claim.

A Sinn Féin press spokesperson told An Phoblacht:

“I really think this highlights the need for newspapers to double-check their facts before putting pen to paper."

The Sinn Féin Leinster House Press Office has contacted news outlets seeking corrections on the issue.