Dissidents issue death threats to Labour TD

Dissident republicans have targeted Environment Minister Alan Kelly and his family for attack, the Labour TD has been warned by gardaí.

Mr Kelly said that he, his family, and staff members had received death threats in the wake of the controversy surrounding the setting-up of Irish Water.

Mr Kelly said a Tipperary garda superintendent told him he was under threat from republicans.

“It’s a difficult thing to talk about because it’s one thing to have some threats about yourself or nasty stuff about yourself but it’s another thing for stuff to be sent to your family, your wife, your parents but also your staff,” Mr Kelly told RTÉ.

“These people just work for me and there’s people ringing them up saying they are going to be killed.”

Mr Kelly said that those responsible for the threats were interested in creating anarchy not getting rid of water charges.

“There is a broader issue here,” said Mr Kelly. “There is a small group of people in this country who just want anarchy. How do you distinguish between something whether it’s serious or not?

“You don’t know the minds of these people. In other countries, people who work for politicians have been killed or injured and it’s completely unacceptable.”

Pressed on Irish Water’s secrecy over how many households have actually paid the charge, Mr Kelly said he was unaware of the figure but expected the utility to reveal the number in “the coming days.”

He stood over Irish Water’s creation when asked if it was “shameful” for a Labour minister to introduce such charges.

“There is never a wrong time to do the right thing,” he said. “I’m not doing this to be popular, obviously, I’m doing it because it’s the right thing. It’s creating an infrastructure to ensure jobs.”

“I wouldn’t describe it as shameful. I wouldn’t do anything if I didn’t think it was right.

“I’m a person who’s driven by conviction. I am very strong-willed in what I do and what I say. What I say is what I mean and do.

“There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. I’m not doing this to be popular, obviously, I’m doing it because it’s the right thing.

“It’s creating an infrastructure to ensure jobs.

“Lots of mistakes were made in relation to Irish Water but setting up Irish Water wasn’t a mistake.

“Down through history, water infrastructure wasn’t invested in [to] the level it needed to be because it was up competing with education, healthcare, social welfare and being honest, it wasn’t sexy enough to get the large-scale funding that was required.”

Mr Kelly’s constituency office was at the centre of a bomb threat, and fellow Labour minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said he had received bullets in the post.