'Politics is a dirty game' - Verona Murphy claims she was 'silenced' by Fine Gael

Former Fine Gael candidate Verona Murphy has claimed she was “silenced” by the party and had to abide by a media ban that was placed on her.

It comes after she was deselected yesterday from running for Fine Gael in the general election.

She had been “very disturbed” when she was instructed not to appear on a television debate prior to the byelection where she contested a seat for Fine Gael in Wexford.

She made controversial remarks during the recent byelection at which she claimed asylum seekers who come to Ireland needed to be "deprogrammed" as they may have been influenced by ISIS.

She also claimed that three-year-olds had been manipulated by the terrorist group.

Speaking on her local radio station South East Radio, Ms Murphy today said that she was a very resilient person. “I will get up, I will turn the page.”

When asked if she would run as in independent candidate in the general election, she said she was going to take some time to reflect and would make a decision in mid January.

“I’m going to think about it, I can’t discount what people have been saying, but I won’t let anyone down.”

Ms Murphy also said that she has taken legal advice about comments made about her and her family.

She said:

Issues were raised about my partner’s tax affairs and there were claims that I was a bully. I have taken legal advice, there are so many untruths in the media.

She was not a “sour or bitter” person, she added, before revealing that the only person from the Fine Gael party who had contacted her personally was Simon Coveney, which she appreciated.

“They may have disowned me, but I’ve made wonderful friends (in the party). I can’t thank them enough.

“Politics is a dirty game, we ran a clean campaign and worked very hard. Everyone seems to be in it for themselves.”

Ms Murphy also defended her comments on migrants which she said had been misquoted. “They left out that part where I said ‘that there is a possibility’” that Isis is a big part of the migrant population.

“People that know me, know that I am not the person being reported in the media. I’ve been president of the Irish Road Haulage Association for five years, everyone has heard me talking about migrants.”

Ms Murphy said she had attended numerous briefings in Europe such as with Interpol and had visited the Jungle in Calais. “I don’t think anyone in Dáil Eireann has as much experience on the issue as I have.

“The issue I raised was a security one. We have to protect ourselves.”

It was not her intent to cause offense, she said. Her remarks had been misrepresented as she had raised a security issue. She added that she knew of a haulier in Wexford whose trailer was entered by 16 illegal migrants who had then absconded.

“That haulier suffered gravely, his family doesn’t want their father to be arrested.

It was the security issue that I raised. Do we have to wait for a London Bridge incident on Wexford Bridge?

“Unrestricted migrants are a security issue.”

Ms Murphy said that her apology to migrants during the campaign had been sincere.

It was also “absolutely untrue” that her comments were part of a campaign strategy to ‘play the race card’. “My quotes are being misrepresented,” she added

The election campaign had been “a huge eye opener” to her and she firmly believed that rural Ireland is being ignored “beyond the Pale”, adding that Wexford has no rural TD.

“Rural Ireland is not being represented, they didn’t want me to represent that.”

The support she received from Fine Gael members in Wexford had been “phenomenal”, she said, but added: “I’m closing the page and moving on.”

Her family comes from a Fine Gael background and many of them were disappointed with what had happened. “They’ve taken it worse than me. The last six weeks were harrowing, but I’m resilient.”

Ms Murphy said her office would remain open, but she would be taking down the Fine Gael branded posters.