Socialist Party TD Ruth Coppinger rejected a Government claim that she had referred to gardaí as “dogs’’ during heated Dáil exchanges yesterday.

She denied she was referring to gardaí when she used the term “called out the dogs’’, insisting she was using a figure of speech.

The row erupted when she raised the arrest of people in west Dublin in connection with the investigation into the anti-water charges protest in Jobstown last November.

Tánaiste Joan Burton and other Government TDs insisted she withdraw the remark.

Ms Coppinger was defended by fellow party TD Joe Higgins. “In the English language, we use figures of speech for impact and effect and to drive home a point.’’

Ms Coppinger said for four days in a row there had been unprecedented Garda operations in west Tallaght, with dawn raids and no appointments made.

She said ordinary men and women, and children in legal terms, had been arrested in front of their families and neighbours, as well as three elected representatives for the Anti-Austerity Alliance.

She asked Ms Burton if she was comfortable with teenagers being arrested because they might have taken part in a protest against her.

There was genuine fear among people they would be arrested and over who would mind their children, she said.

Cars impeded

Ms Coppinger said for decades ministers and taoisigh had gone around the country encountering hundreds of protesters, having their cars impeded and subjected to verbal abuse.

They included former taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Charles Haughey. “Neither of them, for all their sins, went and called out the dogs and called on a repressive police response for the behaviour they faced.’’

Her remark was greeted with uproar from the Government benches.

Ms Burton said in the interests of the many gardaí who served this country and its citizens with distinction, heroism and bravery, she should withdraw the remark.

“I think it is important, notwithstanding that you are given to fairly colourful rhetoric when you speak here, that you would address that issue.

“The gardaí do not deserve to be spoken of in those terms.’’

Not appropriate

She said at many of the protests she had heard language used to men and women garda which was not appropriate.

Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe and other Government TDs also called on Ms Coppinger to withdraw the reference.

Ms Coppinger said: “If the dawn chorus over there could stay quiet for a minute, I was using a figure of speech, not referring to the gardaí.’’

Pressed further, she said her expression was “call off the dogs of war on people in Jobstown’’ and it had nothing to do with gardaí.

Earlier, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the scale of Garda resources deployed in the arrests was in marked contrast to the lack of Garda response in many communities when families reported serious crime.

“There is growing concern that these arrests are politically motivated, and that somebody somewhere has a desire to criminalise the community in Jobstown and the entire anti-water charges movement.’’

Ms Burton said gardaí were free to investigate crime without political interference of any kind.

“That is why it is exclusively a matter for An Garda Síochána to decide, in accordance with the law, who is to be arrested and detained as part of any investigation.’’