THERE WAS anger among protesting public service workers last night after Kerry South TD and former ceann comhairle John O’Donoghue refused to address up to 60 public sector workers who gathered outside his constituency office in Killarney town centre.
The group, which included gardaí, teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, civil servants from the Department of Justice, as well as social welfare workers, is part of the Kerry Public Service Alliance demanding an unconditional reversal of pay cuts.
Since their formation four weeks ago, the group has protested outside premises of all TDs in Kerry who have supported the cuts, and last night they said they would return to Mr O’Donoghue’s clinic until he addressed them.
“This man is hiding,” Cormac Williams a psychiatric nurse said, adding that he would get his reply on the ballot paper.
Mr O’Donoghue’s assistant, Colin Miller, told them Mr O’Donoghue would meet a delegation of five people. However the offer was roundly rejected .
“Both Jackie Healy-Rae and Tom McEllistrim came out and met with us,” the protesters said. And while the exchanges with these two “Government TDs” had been “robust” they at least had the courage to meet with them, said Martin O’Grady, spokesman for the group.
Last night the Fianna Fáil press office issued a statement saying Mr O’Donoghue was disappointed the protesters did not take up his offer to send in a small delegation to meet him and accusing the protesters of being more interested in a shouting match.