Mary Harney, Ireland's Minister for Health, was pelted with red paint by a fellow elected politician when she arrived at an official turning of the sod for a new health care center in Dublin this morning.
The Minister had just stepped out of her car when she was attacked with red paint sprayed from a plastic sports bottle by Dublin City Councilor Louise Minihan at around 10.30am this morning.
Mary Harney's neck chest and hands were covered with red paint, however she continued with the official ceremony after Cllr Minihan was apprehended. Cllr Minihan is a former member of Sinn Fein and is now part of the socialist republican party Eirigí.
Soon after the incident Cllr Minihan was arrested and brought to Ballyfermot police station for questioning before being released without charge this afternoon. The Dublin politician had been invited a guest to the ceremony.
A group of 20 protesters were present to protest the Health Ministers presence and over upcoming cuts to the health service likely to be implemented in the upcoming budget.
A statement from Eirigí defended the councilors actions with Cllr Minihan saying: “the cheek to organize a publicity stunt at Cherry Orchard Hospital, where she was turning the sod for a long overdue mental health unit.
"This is the same hospital which has been starved of funding for years, where an entire ward for alzheimer's and dementia sufferers was closed down during the summer.
“The red paint that I used in today’s protest is symbolic of the blood that Harney, Fianna Fail and the Green Party have on their hands. Irish citizens are literally dying to satisfy the demands of the IMF, the EU and the money markets. The wealth of this country should be used to provide a first class health service that is open to everyone and not to bail out the private banks.”
Speaking after the incident on RTÉ radio, Ms Harney said she did not accept paint-throwing as an acceptable form of protest.
“I find that very intriguing that somebody who’s an elected politician representing the people would be involved in a protest that I believe, and so many other people believe, is not legitimate,” she said.
“We see protests all the time and in every democracy protest is legitimate and it’s important people advocate in different ways, they can picket, they can make their voice heard. But I think an incident like this, I do not believe, is what the vast majority of the people of Ireland would support,” the minister added.
14 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.GeorgeDillon | Nov 03, 2010, 04:17 PM EDT
Racists like PlasticHead only make fools of themselves. I have no objection to giving them a megaphone--it lets the rest of us hear how stupid they are! Leaving that particular clown aside, I want to mention yet another case in the Irish news papers recently that shows the crimes committed by such as Harney and former Minister Martin. This refers to a poor young girl who had the horrifying experience of being a cystic fibrosis patient in an Irish hospital. Knowing how the filth of an Irish hospital would kill her, she screamed to her mother "Ma, they're killing me". The poor mother let herself be intimidated to ignore her daughter's wishes, and left her in the Irish hospital. "My instinct said to get her out of that hospital but the doctors tried to frighten me. Unfortunately I listened to those professionals--it was the biggest mistake of my life". Finally, the mother saw how stupid she had been to listen to these creeps and bums who masquerade as Health "service" in Ireland. She took her baby home, where the young girl died a few hours thereafter. That lousy Irish "health" system for the poor (it's really a Death System) is what posters like PlasticHead are defending--they disgust me.
WoundedKnee | Nov 03, 2010, 07:17 AM EDT
Plastic Paddy is a low life. He unthinkingly throws the "racist" slur at someone because they don't support unlimited immigration into Ireland. Well, Plasic paddy, I don't support unlimited Immigration either, and neither do the vast majority of the Irish. That means we're all racists? And the Irish employers and rich who exploit foreign labor, they're by your insane definition anti-racists, because they support Mass Immigration? You're an utter moron. You shouldn't be allowed post this kind of hateful nonsense, you demean us all.
WoundedKnee | Nov 03, 2010, 04:51 AM EDT
plasticpaddy wrote: "I am a member and have never done anybody any harm." I suspect you never did anybody any good either, judging by your bigoted posts here.
plasticpaddy | Nov 02, 2010, 07:03 PM EDT
Well in fairness she is no longer a member of Sinn Fein so Hyattsville you are also slinging insults by calling all members of Sinn Fein thugs. I am a member and have never done anybody any harm. At the same time GeorgeDillon is a bigot and a racist pig and you are right in your comments about him.
hyattsville | Nov 02, 2010, 05:02 PM EDT
Mr. Dillon the article clearly states that 'Cllr Minihan is a former member of Sinn Fein and is now part of the socialist republican party Eirigí.' Third paragraph. You are obnoxious and a bully. Pretty much every comment that you make involves roaring at someone. Please tell me you are not from Ireland, or at least not from Donegal!
GeorgeDillon | Nov 02, 2010, 03:00 PM EDT
hyattsville: Why are you bringing Sinn Fein into this? Just how uninformed and ignorant are you?
hyattsville | Nov 02, 2010, 12:41 PM EDT
Whether you like her or not this really is no way to treat anyone. Fairly typical thug behaviour from Sinn Fein though. Oh and I believe the protest was at health cutbacks or ‘blood budget’ and not at hiring outside the ‘Irish race’ although it’s so nice to see that some of you will seize each and every opportunity to air your bigoted views whether relevant to the subject at hand or not. Hitler lives and regularly contributes to Irish Central!
Dublinjas | Nov 02, 2010, 02:33 AM EDT
It is a pity that only paint was thrown at this pig, Six out of Ten Medical Consultants (Specialists) in the Irish health system are from Third World countries. Several are presently under some type of suspension due to medical Mal-Practice causing death.
Towngate | Nov 01, 2010, 06:52 PM EDT
She was never a great advertisment for Health, but I am pleased to hear @antoman that her G-men are armed. Maybe now there's a good chance she'll be caught in the crossfire! Seriously,although the red scar-f suits her colouring,but it is a bit pathetic of another elected person to resort to this when she has an Official Voice. ................How was she released without charge? She should be getting an "Eirigi" of her own in The Mountjoy Hotel!
walter3ca | Nov 01, 2010, 05:31 PM EDT
Mary Harney looks to be more African than Irish.
sirpeter | Nov 01, 2010, 05:29 PM EDT
@Georgedildo..The Irish "system" is now run by "doctors" and "nurses" from places like Pakistan and Angola,..feckin'idiot
antoman | Nov 01, 2010, 03:31 PM EDT
Perhaps the councilor should have hurled slimfast on her instead of paint.That said I think it was a stupid thing to do,even dangerous.Don't be fooled even for a second into thinking that her security are unarmed and won't hesitate to shoot.Protest,yes,but assaulting someone by throwing substances or objects is criminal.This is a trend I hope to see stop,otherwise someone will be injured or killed.
GeorgeDillon | Nov 01, 2010, 01:35 PM EDT
Most Irish people--indeed all I have ever spoken to--really hate this woman Harney. She has turned the Irish health "system" into a death-trap. In fact she is known as Minister for Death, not Minister for Health. The Irish "system" is now run by "doctors" and "nurses" from places like Pakistan and Angola, yet Irish graduates in medicine have to emigrate. Ireland is where "doctors" that have been exposed as frauds and charlatans in other European countries wind up, the stupid Irish give them jobs and then are surprised when patients start dying.
GeorgeDillon | Nov 01, 2010, 01:05 PM EDT
That is a bit harsh and unprofessional