Fine Gael TD Ray Butler responds to claim he hit protester with car

Fine Gael

TD Ray Butler has said a woman protester “hopped herself” against his car as he drove away from a meeting in his Meath constituency office this week.

Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating a road traffic collision that occurred at Finnegan’s Way, Trim, shortly before 10pm on Monday.

A spokesman for the protesters, who said they were objecting to evictions, said the woman involved in the incident was hospitalised after “being hit with Mr Butler’s car as he attempted to speed off”.

Mr Butler, who represents Meath West, denies this version of events.

He said he was attending a meeting at his constituency office at 8.45pm when he got a call from his brother-in-law who told him “around 20 or 30” people had gathered outside his home. One of the protesters held a “Free the Five” banner in support of jailed anti-water protesters.

Mr Butler said “four or five” protesters then arrived at his constituency office and a “lady from Kells” kept pressing the buzzer. He said when he and others left the building, he told the woman he would meet her anytime if she made an appointment with his office but he was going home .

“She started shouting about evictions. I went to the car . . . I reversed two foot to swing the car around. I could see her in the back mirror. She ran and hopped herself right off the back of the car,” he said.

Unhurt

Mr Butler said the woman shouted: “He’s after hitting me.” He said local Fine Gael branch member John Toibin, who was also present, told him the woman was unhurt and he could move on.

“When you’re in a dark space with people around you it’s so intimidating. I’m a big boy, I can take this but at the end of the day to go up to my family home with three little girls up there, that is not on.”

He said gardaí had called to his house at 11pm and told him the woman was “taken away in an ambulance and there was no damage”.

Anti-eviction campaigner Finbar Markey said the National Land League of Ireland’s Co Meath branch had held a short “silent, peaceful vigil” at Mr Butler’s home and afterwards some members went to his office.