People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has begun defamation proceedings against Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys.
The proceedings, lodged by Mr Murphy yesterday, relate to comments made by Ms Humphreys in a debate on RTÉ Radio 1's This Week programme last Sunday.
Mr Murphy had sent a solicitor’s letter to Ms Humphreys arising out of her remarks relating to Mr Murphy’s role in an anti-water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in Dublin in November 2014.
Mr Murphy was one of six men charged with the false imprisonment of then tánaiste Joan Burton and her assistant Karen O’Connell in their car on 15 November 2014.
All six were acquitted of the charges by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2017.
Mr Murphy said he had no comment to make on the lodgment of the defamation proceedings for now.
Ms Humphreys said that she accepted the decision of the courts, following news that Mr Murphy had begun defamation proceedings against her.
She said that she was disappointed that he would take legal proceedings against her.
In a statement, Ms Humphreys said: "I'm focused on my campaign and Paul Murphy will not bully me."
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Ms Humphreys said: "This is the tactic of the hard left and Sinn Féin, when they don’t like what you say, they take to the courts."
"There were two women who were victims that day," she added.
During the interview, Ms Humphreys claimed that Paul Murphy was Catherine Connolly's campaign manager.
While Mr Murphy supports Catherine Connolly's campaign, her team has said Mr Murphy is not a member of campaign staff, nor does he hold any management role within the campaign.
