Fianna Fáil TD Mr Martin Brady has lashed out at Manchester United Football Club accusing them of ripping off supporters by announcing another change of strip.
Mr Martin Brady called on United to compensate people who had bought the club's current away kit as Christmas presents for their children at a cost of around £50 a time.
He declared: "The legion of Irish United fans who bought the strip have been ripped off with the news that the club is breaking a promise not to change the strip within a two-year period.
"Fans, especially youngsters, who received the shirts as Christmas presents will be hugely disappointed by the news.
"The club's decision will put parents under renewed pressure, and give them little-or-no value for money."
Mr Brady called on Manchester United to "do the decent thing" and offer any fans who presented the to-be-changed gear at the club's Dublin city centre store the opportunity to buy the new strip at half the normal retail price.
Manchester United communications director Mr Paddy Harverson defended the club's decision to launch the new strip.
He said: "We launched a new away strip at the beginning of the season because the previous away kit's two-year cycle had ended.
"However, we were mindful of the fact this kit would only run for one year because Nike are replacing Umbro as our kit suppliers.
"Therefore we produced a special reversible away kit incorporating our white away kit and our gold third kit, giving fans two kits for the price of one.
"This reversible kit has proved a big hit with fans - it is our best-selling away kit ever. "We made it clear at the time that the kit would only run for one year because of the change of supplier.
"We added a permanent tag to all the away kits explaining that the kit would only last for one year."
PA