An Independent TD has said he will “never forget” the frightening experience of being caught up in a protest outside Leinster House earlier this year.

Deputy Michael Healy Rae was leaving the Dáil with an assistant when he was surrounded by protestors who shouted abuse and insults at him.

Some 13 people were charged in relation to the demonstration.

On The Hard Shoulder today, Deputy Healy Rae said he had originally tried to avoid the crowds outside the Dail.

“I had actually gone out of my way to go around a block to avoid them and go to Kildare House,” he said.

“The shutters were pulled down in Kildare house so I couldn’t get in there, I was ringing for them to open the door.

“Then all of a sudden myself, and a young lady who was on the first day of an official internship from the US, we were surrounded by people who weren’t too nice.”

TD Michael Healy-Rae and his assistant are surrounded by protestors as he enters Leinster House. Image: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

The Kerry TD said politicians are used to insults, but this was a step too far.

“What I’m trying to say is politicians know that sometimes people mightn’t be too happy with you, the things you do or the things you say,” said Deputy Healy Rae.

“A fair argument is one thing, but when people start throwing things, using very bad language, and doing it in front of someone else – a young girl- that was the start of the slippery slope.

“It was before we had those awful protests.”

Dublin Riots

Deputy Healy Rae said his worst memory of 2023 was from the Dublin Riots.

“I never thought I’d see a day where a hard-working respectable Garda in uniform would be running down a street and a group of people running after him shouting ‘Kill him, kill him,’” he said.

“To the person that was shouting that, I have one message; Shame on you for shouting that at a member of the Gardai,’ it was an awful thing and I’ll never forget it.”

Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste said he knew things had become tense in Dublin after the Parnell Square attack.

“I knew after the three kids were attacked that there was something brewing, you were starting to see it, starting to see bits and pieces pop up on social media,” he said.

A double-decker bus and a car are set alight on the edge of O’Connell Bridge during riots in Dublin, 23-11-2023. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Cllr de Róiste said front-line responders to the attack were later targeted by protestors.

“It was really really tough to see what we all saw - the images of front-line emergency service providers being attacked,” he said.

“The thing that galled me is our front-line emergency services workers that responded so diligently and worked on those poor kids and their carer were the same guys that were attacked only a couple hours later.”

Quick response

Cllr de Róiste said a number of firefighters had been able to respond quickly to the attack as they were already in the area of Parnell Square.

“Dublin Fire Brigade were around the corner dealing with a false alarm at the time, “he said.

“Essentially what happened was there were 15 paramedics and three fire engines on site within two and a half to three minutes on from the event unfolding.

“One of those fire engines and some of the same staff were the same guys that were attacked as Dublin Fire Fighters that evening.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin added that the city is “very resilient” and has recovered well from the damage caused on November 23rd.

Main Image: Michael Healy-Rae on the plinth outside Leinster House, 06-10-2021. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.