MEP spat at in the eye and called ‘Labour scum’

Labour MEP Phil Prendergast has spoken of her shock at being spat at and called “Labour scum” in Cork City last week.

Ms Prendergast was on the way to the funeral of Thomas Lynch, father of Labour TD Ciarán Lynch, at Turners Cross in Cork City on April 2 last when the incident occurred.

The Labour MEP for Ireland South was approached by an individual who told her she was “Labour scum” before drawing phlegm and spitting in her eye.

Ms Prendergast reported the incident to gardaí and received medical attention after fears were raised of the potential for the transmission of disease through the mucus membrane in the eye. Results of the tests won’t be known for six weeks.

Ms Prendergast, who succeeded Alan Kelly as an MEP in 2011, said she felt violated after the incident.

“I have never felt so violated in all my life. I was walking alone at night through the city on my way to O’Sullivan’s funeral home when this individual approached me, called me ‘Labour scum’ and proceeded to draw phlegm and spit at me in the eye.

“In all my years in politics I have never heard of, yet alone directly experienced, this type of human violation. I am deeply shocked by the incident and physically sickened,” she said.

The Labour MEP said the incident would not have happened if she was a man.

“I think this type of extremism is abhorrent. There is no way that individual would do that to a man. And to be honest I felt like pulling out of politics once and for all, but that would be giving that individual exactly what he wanted.”

“I stand for the kind of politics where we debate issues, where we try to do the best for people and where depending on how successful we are, we are voted in or voted out. This type of behaviour has no place in a republic or a democracy.”