Sinn Fein MLAs Jemma Dolan and Sean Lynch would not comment yesterday (Wednesday) when asked if they had breached strict guidelines set by the government they serve on when they attended an IRA veteran’s funeral on Tuesday that saw hundreds of people line the streets.

Police are investigating potential breaches of coronavirus lockdown rules that restrict outdoor public gatherings to 30 people after the large attendance at Bobby Storey’s funeral.

As this newspaper went to press yesterday, First Minister Arlene Foster was calling on Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill to apologise for attending the funeral.

Both Miss Dolan and Mr. Lynch, a member of the policing board, who represent this area at Stormont confirmed to this newspaper that they had been there but did not comment when they were later asked several questions.

In the interests of accountability, the MLAs were asked if they understood the hypocrisy of asking members of this constituency to practice social distancing at all times, including at funerals, while at the same time attending one themselves.

They were asked if they accepted that they had breached the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations NI 2020.

They were asked if they understood the fear, as Health Minister Robin Swann alluded to this week, that this may now have a “Dominic Cummings effect” on the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

They were asked if they understood why members of this constituency who haven’t been able to attend funerals of loved ones, accompany pregnant partners at hospital scans or visit their grandparents for three months might be annoyed at this behaviour from their public representatives.

Neither Miss Dolan or Mr. Lynch responded.