The Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has advised Sineád O'Connor to go to gardaí with claims she was molested by a now deceased member of the party.

The singer made the claim in a letter to IRA abuse victim Mairia Cahill.

Sineád O'Connor - who has applied to be a member of Sinn Féin - claims she was repeatedly molested in the 1970's.

Gerry Adams has said she needs to bring those claims to the authorities.

“She needs to go to An Garda Síochána, if she hasn’t already done so. That’s all we can beseech anybody to do who makes such allegations,” said Adams.