Murphy under fire for pulling out of live debates
Fine Gael by-election candidate Verona Murphy has been criticised after failing to take part in two panel debates.
Ms Murphy, who was forced to apologise for her remarks on asylum seekers made to a number of media outlets, also pulled out of a television debate on Virgin Media TV last night and did not take part in a local radio show either.
It is understood that Ms Murphy will not take part in any other radio or television events before Friday’s vote.
Ms Murphy was slammed by fellow candidates when she did not show up for a debate on South East Radio this morning.
Labour candidate George Lawlor said: “There was a time you couldn’t get this candidate off-air and here we are in a situation, in the teeth of the election, where you can’t get her anywhere near the media.”
Malcolm Byrne, who is running for Fianna Fáil in the Wexford by-election, said it was “disappointing” that Ms Murphy had not turned up for the debate.
“We have been distracted by a side-show,” he said.
Afterwards, radio host Alan Corcoran said Ms Murphy’s team had notified the show that she would not be taking part in the debate at 6.30pm the evening before, but did not give any reason.
Ms Murphy had appeared on the same show last week where she said she deeply regrets her comments in which she suggested asylum seekers who come to Ireland need to be “deprogrammed” as they may have been influenced by Islamic State.
A Fine Gael spokesperson later said Ms Murphy had been “unavailable” to take part in the radio debate and she is now concentrating on canvassing.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has continued to support Ms Murphy and canvassed with her in Wexford earlier this week.
Leo Varadkar travelled to Wexford on Monday where he spent around 40 minutes meeting locals with the Fine Gael candidate.
However, unlike events with Fine Gael’s candidates in the three other by-election constituencies, the media was not told Mr Varadkar would be doing any canvassing with Ms Murphy.
Mr Varadkar did not speak to a small number of reporters who were in Wexford before he left.
Fine Gael has refused to comment on the matter.
However, party sources were eager to stress Mr Varadkar takes part in numerous events each week that are not alerted to media.
One party source pointed to the fact he was canvassing with Emer Higgins last Friday and was with James Reilly in Malahide Dart station yesterday morning.
However, Mr Varadkar has previously joined these two candidates for by-election events involving the media and has spoken to reporters at them.
