A man suspected of a violent assault on Michael Healy-Rae is known to gardaí and was identified quickly because he was walking a distinctive dog at the time.
The Irish Times understands the man lives very close to the crime scene in Dublin’s south inner city and appears to have acted in a “spur of the moment” manner.
The suspect, who is in his 50s, is known to gardaí and has a history of offending, including chaotic crimes and for-profit offences, stretching back many years. Garda are trying to determine what motivated the attack and if the suspect has any links to protest, or extremist, groups.
The suspect is also closely linked to a man who took part in a Kinahan-Hutch feud murder and was jailed for his supporting role in that gun killing, carried out for the Kinahan cartel.
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However, there is no suggestion the man being questioned about the assault on the TD was in any way involved in the feud murder his associate was jailed for.
The suspect was arrested in central Dublin on Thursday morning by members of the detective unit from Kevin Street Garda station. He is due in court on Friday morning.
Due to the nature of Healy-Rae’s injuries, which caused blood loss and required stitches, a charge of assault causing harm may result. That is much more serious than a common assault charge, and carries a much longer sentence on conviction, of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Speaking before news of the arrest emerged, Assistant Garda Commissioner Jonathan Roberts told the media at an event in Dublin that gardaí had good CCTV image of the suspect.
He added it was difficult to say whether or not the incident was a spontaneous attack, or a more planned event. “It was a very brief incident,” he said.
Healy-Rae had been in the Dáil on Wednesday and was driving home to Kerry, through Dublin’s south inner city, when he was attacked just after 4pm.
He was in his Skoda vehicle, which is marked in Michael Healy-Rae livery, when he was stopped in traffic on Cork Street with the window down. The Kerry Dáil deputy and former junior minister was spotted by his attacker, who began shouting abuse before walking over and assaulting him through the open window.
The attacker had fled before uniformed gardaí arrived on the scene and offered assistance, bringing Healy-Rae in a patrol car to Kevin Street Garda station before he was taken to St Vincent’s hospital for medical treatment.
He suffered a wound to his head, which was cleaned and stitched before he was discharged before 9pm and made the journey home to Kerry.
Gardaí took witness statements from people in the area at the time of the attack and also viewed footage recorded on CCTV cameras locally. On the footage, gardaí were able to track the movements of the suspect before and after the attack, aided by the fact the suspect was at the time walking a dog described as distinctive.
Earlier, Healy-Rae said he would “not be deterred” from his work after the attack.
He said, however, that a “serious conversation” was needed about the “growing toxicity directed towards politicians and public representatives”.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, he thanked the gardaí at Kevin Street Garda station, the ambulance crew and the hospital staff who assisted and treated him and expressed gratitude to “the thousands of people from Kerry and across the country who have contacted me and my family”.
“Whatever the intention behind this attack, I will not be deterred from continuing my work or from representing the people of Kerry to the very best of my ability.”
[ Assault on Michael Healy-Rae increases fears over TD safetyOpens in new window ]
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who was in Farmleigh House for a meeting with the president of the European Council Antonio António Costa, said he had contacted Healy-Rae by phone on Wednesday night and had had a conversation with him about the assault.
“We are seeing an increase of propensity for violence, for aggression, for hostility in our society, and that’s something that is clearly regrettable,” he said.
Since 2025, the Garda has made some 18 arrests in relation to some form of abuse or offence targeted at people in public positions.
Earlier, the TD’s son Jackie Healy-Rae said his father was “a bit shook” and “a bit sore” after the incident but would not be deterred from doing his job.
He said: “Someone would have to kill him to stop him and I hope that never happens.”
[ Street attack on Michael Healy-Rae a worrying development for our democracyOpens in new window ]
