TDs photographed with far-right figures are 'laundering conspiracy theories', Dáil warned

THE DÁIL HAS heard that some of its TDs are stirring up hate and are aligned with “far-right activists”.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, speaking under Dáil privilege, named Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath as one deputy who is involved in “laundering far-right conspiracy theories” and having “connections” with the far-right.

Some of those named by Murphy have been involved in anti-immigrant protests across the country over the past year, recruiting fellow protestors via social media.

As part of a Dáil debate last night on the riots in Dublin, Murphy named a number of individual activists and people with large online followings as having issued calls for people to take to the streets last Thursday.

“These people didn’t hide themselves. They did not issue the calls anonymously,” Murphy said.

He specifically referenced far-right figures Derek Blighe, Andy Heasman, Gavin Pepper, Fergus Power, Mick O’Keeffe and Philip Dwyer in his speech.

McGrath was not in the Dáil chamber when allegations were made and has been contacted a number of times by The Journal for comment between last night and today.

Speaking after Murphy’s contribution, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl noted that reference was made to TDs not present in the chamber and “associations which they may or may not have”.

“I am not aware of with some of the wretched individuals to which the deputy referred.  It is probably not a good idea to make such references when people are not here to defend themselves,” he added.

Blighe is a Cork-based far right social media personality who also bills himself as a ‘citizen journalist’. He has gained a following over the past year calling for the deportation of asylum seekers.

He has described the invasion of Ukraine as a “fake war publicised to encourage economic migrants to come to this country” and repeatedly spread other misinformation about migration.

Heasman is a far-right activist who has taken part in various protests, including a demonstration outside Leinster House in September which saw the erection of gallows featuring images of a number of TDs, and demonstrations targeting libraries across the country over their stocking of LGBTQ+ reading material.

An anti-immigrant campaigner, Pepper has also featured prominently in protests against the housing of asylum seekers in Ireland over the past year.

He previously took aim at Murphy following a fire at a makeshift encampment of asylum seekers at Sandwith Street in Dublin earlier this year.

Dwyer, a self-styled ‘citizen journalist’ who regularly live-streams at protest events, is a former member of the far-right National Party, which he left after livestreaming from the grave of murdered schoolteacher Ashling Murphy shortly after her death.

Like other right-wing influencers, Dwyer regularly shares reports of alleged incidents involving migrants, or the persecution of protestors, often without any evidence. 

Murphy said that any discussion around the issue would have to include the links he said that politicians such as Mattie McGrath have with these far-right figures.

“Mattie McGrath earlier called for a ‘reasonable debate’ on migration,” Murphy said.

“Fine; let us have the debate. Part of that will be his connections with the far-right. He has been photographed with Gavin Pepper and Andy Heasman and had a street meeting with many of the people involved [...]

“He has been laundering far-right conspiracy theories using his platform in this Dáil repeatedly; he is not the only one.”

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Heasman shared a photo to Twitter of himself standing with McGrath on 1 June, 2021. The image is a still from a longer video in which Heasman handed McGrath a number of letters from people complaining about Covid restrictions.

In July this year, Pepper was photographed at the Rally for Life – an anti-abortion event in Dublin – with McGrath.

Murphy also referenced far-right figures who posted in the wake of last week’s stabbing on Parnell Square, in which three children and their carer were injured, hours before riots took place in Dublin.

He said a claim by far-right personality and National Party-affiliate Mick O’Keeffe suggested that “a foreign man” had entered a school and stabbed children.

O’Keeffe has previously supported the National Party on Twitter, retweeting recruitment drives, and has repeatedly shared its talking points.

At the time of writing, he has a National Party slogan, ‘Ireland belongs to the Irish’, pinned at the top of his Twitter profile.

Murphy also said that another individual, Fergus Power, tweeted that “a five-year-old girl is alleged to have passed away, this better get people off their arses and out onto the streets”.

The girl remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Power is an anti-immigration activist who has been present at protests against refugee accommodation in Ballybrack this year, as well as the far-right protest outside the Dáil in September.