TD assaulted at hospital protest rally

A Fine Gael TD last night confirmed that he had been “physically assaulted” by a woman as he left the stage at a rally in support of retaining services for the elderly at a local hospital.

Peter Fitzpatrick was one of three Government deputies who were not allowed to address the crowd of some 700 who took part in the march on Saturday afternoon in support of retaining long-term care for the elderly at the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda.

The alleged assault took place as he was leaving the stage after being prevented from using the microphone.

The crowd was told by a member of the Save Drogheda Cottage Hospital committee that it had been agreed by it (the committee) that any TD who did not sign a pledge it had written would not be allowed the microphone.

The three Government deputies did not sign the pledge, which could result in them having to vote against the Government.

It asks them to vote against any measures aimed at closing the hospital and to vote in favour of any measure or motion in the Dáil to retain services.

Both of the opposition deputies in Louth — Gerry Adams (SF) and Seamus Kirk (FF) — signed it and addressed the crowd.

Last night Mr Fitzpatrick said: “As I was going down from the stage I was physically assaulted by this lady. She struck me on the face.”

He added: “I can understand people’s emotions being high but there was no excuse for what she did. It was completely out of order.

“I am very, very disappointed by it. She slapped me on the face and I looked up at her.

“I would never, never do something like that. I am glad my family didn’t see what happened,” he added.

Asked if he would consider making a complaint to gardaí, Mr Fitzpatrick did not rule it out and said he was “open” to the possibility.

His party colleague, junior Minister Fergus O’Dowd, described a man who had threatened him at the rally and the people who had refused the Government deputies the microphone as “fascist thugs”.

Speaking immediately after he was met by booing and was then directed off the stage, Mr O’Dowd said: “What happened today in my own town is where a bunch of fascist thugs prevented us from speaking… the people of Drogheda won’t wear this.”

He also compared what happened to “a Nuremburg rally where you are dictated to by a small number of people”.

He added: “I was abused going up (to the stage) by a man who threatened he’d drag me off it.”

Mr O’Dowd said his comments were “only directed at those who were controlling the stage and at those who threatened me”.

The secretary of the committee, Sinn Féin councillor Imelda Munster yesterday said: “I am, on behalf of the committee, calling on him to withdrawn that remark. It is ill-founded, unwarranted and insulting. All he was asked to do was sign a pledge to support the people of Drogheda and (support) retaining the hospital.”

She said that all of the Government deputies were informed of the wording of the pledge two days before the rally and were aware of what it contained. She denied it asked them to resign.

Labour TD Gerald Nash, who was also prevented from addressing the crowd, said: “Some of the people who decided to take this approach today were the very same people for whom we repealed section 31 of the Broadcasting Act in the early 1990s to allow people to make up their own minds on terrorists and their actions.”

The future of 33 long- term beds and 19 respite beds between the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda and St Joseph’s in Ardee is under examination by the Minister for Health, who has suggested that a trust be considered to run the Cottage Hospital.

The HSE is looking at having all such long-term and respite care for the elderly at another site in Drogheda but this is dependent on a feasibility study and funding.