Newstalk presenter Ciara Kelly blasts protesters who threw bag of 'sh*t' at politicians

Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte revealed on Twitter that excrement had been flung at her and Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon at a meeting.

The act was blasted as “disgusting” by Newstalk breakfast host Ciara Kelly, who compared the incident to “smoothies being thrown at Leo Varadkar.”

The presenter called for the perpetrators to be prosecuted as the move was “sickening.”

She said: "Not just because it's an assault on an elected representative, but it's disgusting in its essence what somebody has done.

"I also think it's worse than that: I think it's a subversion of democracy.

"It undermines and intimidates elective representatives who have a mandate from people.

"That's how this country functions: whether you like it or not, we are a democracy.”

Ciara dubbed the act “a Brownshirt move.”

"It disgusts me in the same way - by the way - as smoothies being thrown at Leo Varadkar, as water balloons being thrown at Joan Burton and at any elected representative being assaulted by somebody who doesn't seem to give a crap what happens in terms of elections.

"These people are people who represent other people."

Outrage erupted online following Minister Rabbitte’s disclosure of the incident.

Fellow Minister of State, Pippa Hackett, said she hoped the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted.

“Solidarity with my government colleague Anne Rabbitte, who was doing her job, as she does every day with compassion and commitment.

"What a disgusting thing to do. We can’t allow anybody be treated like this - I hope the perpetrator is identified and prosecuted,” she said.

Minister Rabbitte had tweeted yesterday: “Attended a meeting tonight and a bag of sh*t thrown at me and my government colleague !!!”

Ciaran Cannon added: “So an idiot goes to the bother of putting excrement (human or animal, yet unknown) into two bags and throws one at me and one at Anne.

"All part of the job you might say, but I understand why fewer people want this job.”