FG complaint on Chambers was sinister, says McGrath

Fine Gael’s targeting of Mayo TD Lisa Chambers was “sinister” and was because she was a new TD and a woman, her colleague Michael McGrath has said.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr McGrath — a Cork South-Central TD and party finance spokesman — warned the upcoming general election is set to be “nasty and personalised” even though he says it puts the public off politics.

“I think it would make sense is there could be an orderly wind-down of the Dáil. Undoubtedly, proceedings have become more tetchy.

“Unfortunately, I get the feeling that it’s going to be a nasty campaign, which I don’t enjoy — yeah I don’t like and I don’t think the general public really enjoy it either I think,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil finance spokesman said that the tabling of a complaint by Fine Gael’s Fergus O’Dowd against Ms Chambers, Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokeswoman, was “unnecessary”.

He called on all colleagues to seek to raise the tone of the campaign and “stick to the issues”.

“I would call on it everyone going into this election campaign to stick to the issues and focus on the things that really matter to people — and we know what those issues are in health and housing and crime, and protecting the economy, and so on, — and not to go after individuals,” he said.

“I think what we’re seeing, from Fine Gael in the tactic pursuing Lisa Chambers was particularly sinister.

“Because they know she is one of the star performers on the FF front bench. She’s a newcomer, a new TD and she’s female, and I think it is completely unnecessary.”

he added.

Mr McGrath said the tactics now are “about damaging individuals” and “it’s going after the person is the nastiness that has crept into our politics in recent years”.

“I actually think that that approach puts people off politics people generally, and I think it puts younger people [off] from going into politics, and that is a real concern.”

Mr McGrath said that politicians should all seek to be less personalised in their dealings.

"And I just think that , you know, in politics, we, we could all be just that little bit nicer to each other, and I think people genuinely want us to focus on the things that matter to them,” he added.

Mr McGrath said he himself is sometimes afraid to go on Twitter after appearing on TV because of a “new nastiness” which he said has crept into Irish politics.

“Sometimes you’re half afraid to have a look at your Twitter feed because the insults can be pretty cutting. And look, you know, not everyone is able to handle that, and I just think it will be a great shame if people who have a lot to offer — I mean, who’ve we’ve become really good politicians — are put off by the nastiness that has crept in.”