The Labour Party has accused a media organisation of intimidating Mayor of Galway Helen Ogbu over what it describes as 'a typo' on a website.
The party says a journalist and photographer called to Mayor Ogbu's home after asking about an error about her asylum timeline - which was corrected within one working day.
It says the visit was particularly concerning given the councillor's experience of racist abuse and the murder of her husband in Nigeria because of his political activities.
The party has expressed its solidarity with City Councillor Ogbu, describing her as 'a hardworking and dedicated' public representative.
See the full statement from the Labour Party below:
Statement from the Labour Party
The Labour Party is aware of a typo that appeared on a webpage regarding the timeline around Cllr Helen Ogbu seeking asylum in Ireland.
We received a media inquiry on this matter on Friday afternoon after 3pm, at a time when Cllr Ogbu was away at a family wedding. Once the error was brought to our attention, the webpage was removed.
The Labour Party provided a response to the media outlet on Monday afternoon.
Despite receiving that response within one working day, and subsequent to receiving the response, a journalist arrived unannounced at Cllr Ogbu’s home today with a photographer, and they both knocked persistently on her door and also that of her neighbours.
Galway City council colleagues and elected members were also contacted through the day by the media outlet seeking to establish Helen's whereabouts.
A cursory search of Cllr Ogbu’s public profile would show that she is subjected to significant racist abuse and harassment on an ongoing basis, and that her husband was assassinated in Nigeria for his involvement in democratic politics.
In those circumstances, doorstepping Helen at her home in this way, over a query about a typo that had already been answered within one working day, was unnecessary behaviour.
It was intimidatory and unacceptable, particularly given the fact that it is public knowledge that her late husband was murdered for his political activity.
The Labour Party wishes to express our serious concern at the tactics used by a mainstream media outlet, particularly at a time when Far Right agitation is becoming increasingly evident across our communities.
We express our solidarity with Councillor Helen Ogbu and our pride in her immense achievements as a hardworking, committed and dedicated Galway public representative for Labour.
