The Minister for Defence claimed in the Dáil that his property had been damaged twice by people whom the Garda said were associated with the Green Party. Marie O'Halloran reports.
Mr O'Dea, in a row on neutrality with the Green Party's defence spokesman, Mr John Gormley, said everyone was entitled to their opinion but he did not send people around in the middle of the night to damage property.
"My property was damaged on a number of occasions by people who, according to the Garda in Limerick, are associated with deputy Gormley's party. My property has been damaged simply because I happen to hold a different opinion," he said. Mr Gormley replied: "That is outrageous". The Minister said however that "it is a matter of fact".
"If deputy Gormley does not believe me, I will send him the evidence of the Garda in Limerick."
Mr Gormley said it was "cheap smear and innuendo" and if the Minister had any evidence of criminal activity by Green Party members he should go to the Garda "and have those people charged instead of attending the House to take cheap shots".
Mr Gormley had claimed that the Government "has done more than any other previous administration to undo and dismantle Irish neutrality and its "commitment to neutrality is about as plausible as its commitment to socialism".