Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the Dáil yesterday, the Taoiseach made an allegation that people associated with Sinn Féin were most insulting to ordinary people who attended a Fine Gael Party meeting in Limerick on Monday night. What the Taoiseach said yesterday was absolutely untrue. Sinn Féin was not involved in the protest in Limerick. Our council group leader, Maurice Quinlivan, has made that clear. I presume the Taoiseach knew that or he could have checked it out before he came to the House to make the allegation, which was carried by some of the media and which is clearly part of an effort by him to demonise the anti-water charges campaign, and in particular Sinn Féin.

The reality is that thousands of reasonable people had protested very peacefully, and will continue to do so, until the water charges are abolished. People will not stop holding up their placards just because the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, wants them to do so. I look forward to a huge turnout on 10 December. We have always been very clear about protests and demonstrations, in particular in the wake of some unsavoury incidents around the anti-water charges demonstration. I and others have said the protest should be very peaceful, family-friendly and respectful. The Right2Water campaign, which Sinn Féin supports, is a broad-based movement of ordinary citizens, most of whom have never been active previously. They are expressing themselves through peaceful protest, which the Taoiseach should encourage. Will the Taoiseach now withdraw his inaccurate and untrue allegation against Sinn Féin which he made in the Dáil yesterday?

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