FF leader of Yes campaign accused of ‘misinformation’ in row

15th February 2024

claire Byrne
Fianna Fail TD, Thomas Byrne, who is in charge of the party’s Yes campaigns in the referendums, landed himself in trouble on RTE radio yesterday when he falsely accused a female journalist of voting against abortion and same-sex marriage as a way to brand her as an opponent of ‘progress’.

Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, the TD for Meath East said he smiled when he heard broadcaster, journalist and barrister Brenda Power, say that nobody would have a problem if the wording was slightly different, and asked if she “ever supported a referendum?” [11:20]

When Ms Power said yes, she had supported the last two, Minister Byrne contradicted her and told her, “You didn’t support the abortion referendum”.

She replied, “I absolutely did, 100%. How dare you come in here so ill-informed”.

He then pressed her on whether she supported “the marriage equality referendum”, and again she replied, “I did, 100%, and if you want to look at my columns on it, . . . go back and check it out”.

She added: “This is exactly the misinformation that we’re getting from the ‘Yes’ side that anyone who disagrees with them are right-wing, conservative, God-botherers. That is absolutely disgraceful”.