Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin repeatedly refused to say whether or not he apologised to garda union reps over a controversial image showing gardaí at an eviction.
Mr Ó Broin was widely criticised at the weekend when he tweeted a picture by artist Spicebag showing modern day gardaí at a famine-era eviction.
He tweeted the picture with the caption, “no words needed”.
It came following weeks of debate on the Government’s decision to lift the winter eviction ban.
Justice Minister Simon Harris and Antoinette Cummingham, Secretary General of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), both criticised the post.
Mr Ó Broin confirmed that he later spoke to Ms Cunningham and informed her that he was criticising Government policy and not the gardaí.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the controversy, the Sinn Féin TD was asked on RTÉ’s News at One if he had apologised for the comments
Mr Ó Broin repeatedly said that he expressed “regret” and “clarified” his comments, but would not directly answer whether or not he had apologised.
He said: “ My intention when I retweeted Spicebag’s image was to put the focus on evictions and the Government's decision which is going to see, in my view, an increase in the rise of homelessness.
“Having said that, obviously, members of An Garda Siochana and the AGSI read the image differently. In many cases, when I've been speaking to guards, they were kind of saying that they felt that I was almost blaming them for the homeless crisis that I was blaming them for eviction. Of course, that was never my intention.
“I felt it was appropriate for me to clarify that.”
Mr O Bróin if he apologised four times. He did not directly answer and continued to say that he “expressed regret”.
When asked if he had expressed remorse to Ms Cunningham, he said that he “absolutely” did.
He was also asked “was it wrong” for him to tweet the photograph, Mr Ó Broin said that he “never intended” to create a row in the first place.
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