Solidarity TD Paul Murphy is set to lodge a formal complaint against Minister Charlie Flanagan claiming that he, along with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor, defamed him during a robust Dáil exchange.
According to the Irish Independent, a letter is to be sent to the Ceann Comhairle today.
The newspaper claims Mr Murphy will claim Mr Varadkar’s accusation that events at the Jobstown protest amounted to “thuggery” broke Oireachtas rules.
Mr Murphy alleges the Taoiseach description of the demonstration suggests he was involved in ‘anger’, ‘swear words’ and throwing a water balloon.
“These are false allegations, which are defamatory,” he writes.
He is understood to go on to state that Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan’s interruptions during the debate as “implying deputy had previously made threats against members of the House”.
In reference to comments made by Minister of State Mary Mitchell O’Connor, he says she defamed him “when she stated ‘two women were kept in a car’, implying that this act amounted to false imprisonment when a jury has found this not to be the case”.
Solidarity meeting
Meanwhile, the Solidarity Party is due to hold a meeting in Portlaoise on Tuesday night, July 18.
Posters promoting the event state: ‘Time for a political revolution’.
The party also claims that the the Jobstown trial exposed a ‘political stitch up’
Speakers on the night in O’Loughlin’s Hotel will include Cllr Mick Murphy (Jobstown Defendants Solidarity), Rita Harrold (ROSA Solidarity) and Susan Armstrong Nelson (Darkness into Light).
The event will begin at 8.00 pm.
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