McGrath: My removal is sinister attack on free speech

REBEL TD Finian McGrath last night branded his removal from a key Oireachtas committee as a “sinister attack on free speech”.

The independent deputy spoke out as he was bundled off the justice committee following his withdrawal of support for the coalition over the medical cards crisis.

The Government was quick to take revenge on him and Joe Behan, who dramatically resigned from the Fianna Fáil party over the same issue, sparking a full-blown Dáil crisis in the process.

Some Fianna Fáil TDs privately expressed anger at the removal of both men from committees as they viewed the action as appearing petty and sending out the wrong message. Dublin TD Mr McGrath called the action “vindictive” and insisted he would continue to speak out on justice matters.

“This really is a sinister attack on free speech.

“I have been an independent voice on that committee for six years and have tried to represent the families of the Monaghan-Dublin bombings in particular,” said Mr McGrath.

“This is very petty and just shows the Government up, not me.

“It is very over the top and you think they would have better things to do with their time than act in this spiteful way.

“The wheels seem to be coming off this Government now, but the Greens are determined to try and keep the whole thing going for as long as possible,” he said.

Mr McGrath will keep his seat on the less prestigious climate change committee and will not lose earnings due to his removal from the justice grouping as he was an ordinary member.

Mr Behan will see his salary drop by €6,000 as he also loses his convener role on the education committee he has been forced to leave.

Controversially, he will be replaced by Fianna Fáil on the committee by Beverly Flynn who was re-admitted to the party earlier this year after a period in the political wilderness following her failed libel action against RTÉ after it reported she gave clients tax avoidance advice while working in banking.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and Fine Gael’s Enda both attacked the removal of the two deputies from the committees in the Dáil.