A Taoiseach-appointed senator has said she is “terrified” to attend any protest where the Irish “tri-flag” is present.
Speaking in the Seanad during a debate on fuel protests in the past week, Senator Eileen Flynn, who was previously appointed to the Seanad by the Taoiseach in 2020 and later elected to the Administrative Panel in 2025, said she did not attend the demonstrations as they had been “overtook by the far right”.
Flynn said she understood why people had taken to the streets initially, citing the impact of rising energy costs on households across the country.
“I want to start by saying very clearly I understand why people are on the streets,” she said.
“The cost of fuel and energy is breaking people, and the government has been far too slow to see this and to act on it.”
However, she said she did not attend the protests herself.
“I didn’t attend any of those protests,” she said.
“And the reason why I didn’t, it was overtook by the far right. It was overtook by the far right.”
Flynn went on to describe her reaction to the presence of the national flag at such events.
“Look, for me, where I see the tri-flag, I’m terrified to be part of any protest where I see a tri-flag,” she said.
“That’s an absolute disgrace in the country as a public representative, afraid to go to any protest where there’s a tri-flag.”
She linked her concerns to what she described as hostility towards migrants, saying there was “so much hatred out there towards people from migrant backgrounds”.
“And yet, and yet, we have a health system that’s barely standing,” she said.
“And it wouldn’t be standing – I’ve said this numerous times – if we didn’t have migrant workers in our hospitals.”
Fuel protests have taken place across several parts of Ireland in recent weeks, with demonstrators highlighting the rising cost of petrol, diesel, and household energy.
The protests, which involved blockades of roads and oil refinery infrastructure, featured many Irish tricolours held by demonstrators, and ultimately led to the Government reducing taxation on fuel to assist people with affordability.