Hustings scuffle leads to assault claim against TD

A scuffle during by-election campaigning has led to an allegation of an assault by Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan being made to gardaí.

John McDermott, a Hospital campaigner and candidate in the Roscommon-South Leitrim Dáil poll, made a statement on the incident at Roscommon Garda Station.

Mr Feighan had apologised for his involvement in the scuffle in Roscommon where Taoiseach Enda Kenny faced noisy protests over reductions in services at the local hospital.

The scuffle saw Mr Feighan and two others step in to intervene when Mr McDermott approached the Taoiseach.

Mr Feighan insisted the scuffle amounted to a “collision” between himself and Mr McDermott.

The TD said in a statement that he feared Mr Kenny was going to be confronted in a physical manner. “In hindsight, I misread the situation and overreacted in a tense situation,” he said.

“I regret if any actions of mine caused hurt to anybody, especially the Hospital Action Committee candidate and former Roscommon senior county goalkeeper, John McDermott.”

Mr McDermott said he had made the complaint to gardaí due to the deputy’s “half-hearted” apology.

The incident came as demonstrators called for the reopening of Roscommon Hospital’s emergency department. Mr Kenny said his pre-general election pledges on Roscommon hospital were due to the information he had at the time.

“When I spoke here in Roscommon before the general election, I made my comments based on the information I had then,” said Mr Kenny. “It wasn’t for me to determine professionally, clinically, or ethically the standards that were required and that applied in the accident and emergency unit.”

The by-election was caused by the election of Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan to the European Parliament and voting takes place on October 10.