TD leaves Co Wexford home as anti-eviction group holds protest

Minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe had to leave his family home with his wife and three children on Sunday as gardaí were called to deal with anti-eviction protesters targeting the property in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

The incident happened at lunchtime when the Fingal Battalion Direct Action group arrived and began a protest outside the home.

A spokesman for An Garda Síochána said gardaí attended the scene of a protest outside a house at approximately 1.45pm. Protesters left the scene peacefully and the gardaí will carry out inquiries.

A spokesman for the minister confirmed the incident and said that gardaí were called to the house shortly after the protest began. “The minister and his family would like to thank gardaí and thank them for their assistance.”

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The anti-eviction group targeted a number of other ministers including Simon Harris and Paschal Donohoe in February.

Mr Harris condemned the protest at his home in Greystones, Co Wicklow. He said protesters who gathered outside his house used his wife and baby to identify which house was his.

“I think my wife and baby had been used to identify where my house was,” he said. “It’s clear they had a rough idea but maybe didn’t know where specifically”. The Minister hit out at those who organised the incident, saying it was not a legitimate protest.

“This wasn’t a protest. It was a clear attempt to intimidate my family and my neighbours,” he said. “It felt like a violation. It was a violation.”

A different group, understood to be made up of right-wing "Yellow Vest" activists also protested outside the apartment complex of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Castleknock in February. About six protesters demonstrated at the gates to the complex.