Former tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has told the trial of Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and six other water protesters that "you wonder in times like that where this hate is coming from".
"My politics is not about hating anybody," Ms Burton told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday. It is Ms Burton's second day giving evidence in the trial, which is set down for six weeks.
I'm cold and I'm hungry and I'm thirsty. I actually asked a guard what would happen if I needed a toilet - Joan Burton
Mr Murphy (34), together with South Dublin Councillors Kieran Mahon (39) and Michael Murphy (53) and four other men, are charged with falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her adviser Karen O'Connell by restricting their personal liberty without their consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght on November 15th, 2014.
Paul Murphy of Kingswood Heights, Tallaght; Kieran Mahon of Bolbrook Grove, Tallaght; Michael Murphy of Whitechurch Way, Ballyboden, Dublin; Frank Donaghy (71) of Alpine Rise, Tallaght; Ken Purcell (50) of Kiltalown Green; Michael Banks (46) of Brookview Green, Tallaght and Scott Masterson (34) of Carrigmore Drive, Tallaght have all denied the charges.
When asked if she heard people shouting “traitor” at her, Ms Burton said “no, not particularly”.
“Perhaps when people are shouting and roaring it’s probably curses and bad language standing out,” she said.
Ms Burton was responding to questioning from Pádraig Dwyer SC, representing Frank Donaghy, on what exactly she heard when she was in the car.
“I’m sitting in the back of a car,” she said. “I’m cold and I’m hungry and I’m thirsty. I actually asked a guard what would happen if I needed a toilet. My colleague who was sitting beside me was extremely upset and weeping a lot. I was trying to comfort her.
“I was listening to statements wishing me dead and so on, illnesses. I heard those maybe because they were more personal.
“You wonder in times like that where this hate is coming from. My politics is not about hating anybody.”
Mr Dwyer put it to Ms Burton that in 2014, sections of Irish society were angry with the Labour party and "the perceived treachery on the part of Labour."
“Only partly,” Ms Burton replied, adding large numbers of people were “very supportive of the fact the economy was starting to recover”.
“The response to me was mixed,” she said.
Ms Burton denied that her party had been “wiped out” in the 2016 general election but conceded it was “hugely damaged”.
Ms Burton agreed that by the 2016 general election, support for Labour had fallen in the polls. She said the Labour Party was affected "by a strong campaign by people who were out to destroy the Labour Party and destroy social democracy in Ireland. "
“There is a group of people who would like to destroy the party,” she said.
The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury of seven men and five women.