Green communications director deletes tweet criticising own party's TD

The tweet has since been deleted and the Green Party said Thomas Molloy had intended to send the message to a friend.

Neasa Hourigan featured on the panel that the Green Party's communications director commented on. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

The communications director of the Green Party has deleted a tweet which said one his own party's TDs was "not a sensible person".

A tweet from the account of Thomas Molloy, who has been the party's communications director since February, said there was "not one sensible person" on the panel for RTÉ's Upfront on Monday night.

That is despite Green Party Dublin Central TD Neasa Hourigan being on the panel and identified in the tweet by name and photo.

The tweet has since been deleted and the Green Party said Mr Molloy had intended to send the message to a friend.

"Tom accidentally tweeted a message which he had meant to text a friend. He apologises to Neasa as he never intended for the message to be read publicly."

Ms Hourigan was on the panel alongside Fianna Fáil's Paul McAuliffe, Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin and former Housing Agency chair Conor Skehan.

Ms Hourigan has only recently rejoined the Green Party having served a suspension along with Patrick Costello for voting against the Government on a motion on the new National Maternity Hospital.

Meanwhile, a Green Party WhatsApp group that includes elected TDs and councillors was locked down and tweets deleted after a number of members voiced opinions which in some cases amounted to "full-on rage" in the group.

Green party TD and administrator of the WhatsApp group Brian Leddin sent a message to the group stating that it was his understanding that there had been "upset" among members after the tweet.

After reopening the group, he said: "I’m conscious, however, that it is an employment matter and that comments on this forum may lead to future difficulty... I took the decision to delete some comments and close this forum briefly. Happy to reopen now but ask that we refrain from discussing the matter here.” 

A member of the group, which has around 50 members, said some of the messages ranged from "passive aggressive" to "full-on rage".