Leinster House in Dublin. Stock image
A Dáil usher who appeared to have been radicalised, by the evidence of his social media posts, has now severed all links with the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Irish Independent broke the news during the summer that the male usher had been sent home and instructed to stay away from the parliamentary campus after this newspaper queried his position.
The usher was suspended on full pay as an investigation took place. He had been publicising far-right, anti-migrant rants online, using a picture of himself in his official uniform, apparently taken at Leinster House.
The individual also retweeted negative material about Natasha O’Brien, the woman who was assaulted by soldier Cathal Crotty, and he has repeatedly advocated the expulsion from Ireland of “foreigners”.
The man has now resigned from the Houses of the Oireachtas, with no special payments or arrangements, it is understood, with both parties understanding that the situation is at an end.
The resignation resolves a stand-off that had threatened to develop after the Houses took abrupt action – although, other staff members had been raising concerns.
The man’s duties had extended to serving in the Dáil chamber, where on occasion he sat yards from the government benches – at a time when his feed was reflecting severe dissatisfaction with the State or politics in Ireland.
The usher focused his attentions on immigration and was claimed to have even greeted protesters at Leinster House on occasion.
His superiors became concerned that his social media feed and output did not reflect the level of impartiality appropriate to his role within the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The man has now been paid accrued entitlements and no more after ending his enforced leave period through his voluntary resignation. The departure ends all putative disciplinary action by his employers.
A spokesperson for the Houses of the Oireachtas said it was standing policy not to comment on matters to do with security or with staff.
It is understood high-level security checks were immediately carried out into the individual and his background on foot of information received. It is important to stress that he has been found to have committed no crime.
The issue calls into question the vetting of recruits to the role of usher.
