A councillor has pleaded not guilty at Dublin District Court to assaulting Minister for Health Mary Harney who was splattered with red paint at a hospital last November.
Minister Harney, who now may have to give evidence in the trial, had paint thrown at her during a sod-turning ceremony for a new primary care and mental health unit at Cherry Orchard Hospital in west Dublin, on November 1st last year.
Dublin City Councillor Louise Minihan (29) of Knock Riada, Chapelizod, in Dublin, a member of the socialist republican Eirigi party, had been charged in November and appeared in court last month in relation to the incident.
She is accused of assaulting the Minister and criminal damage to her clothing.
At her first court appearance, on December 15th, the defence had said that copies of the prosecution statements had already been received and the councillor was then remanded to appear again today to enter a plea.
State Solicitor Jane Farrell told Judge Hugh O’Donnell the case was “going for a hearing and will take half a day.”
Ms Minihan spoke once to confirm her name to the judge who remanded her on continuing bail pending a non-jury hearing on February 25th.
After the case, the councillor confirmed that she was pleading not guilty and contesting the allegations.