Gerry Hutch says he will not be ‘tormenting’ voters as campaign gets under way

By Claudia Savage, Press Association

Gerry “The Monk” Hutch has said he will not be “tormenting people on the doors” in his campaign for the Dublin Central byelection.

Hutch, who has been described in court as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation, attended a public meeting on Wednesday evening calling for more support for children with special educational needs.

Asked why he was attending the meeting, Hutch told the Press Association: “I’m here to give them support”

“It’s not only special needs children, it’s how (the Government) treat the whole country,” he said.

“The Children’s Hospital is a national disgrace.”

Hutch said his campaign is officially beginning on Thursday but will be “kicked off online”.

“It’ll be posters and all that going out,” he said.

“I don’t believe in tormenting people on the doors for eight or 10 weeks.

“We’ll be just doing it on the street, a couple of door knocking, not too many.”

Asked why he believed the Dublin Central electorate should vote for him he said: “Well, they have a choice, and the people around this constituency have asked me to run, so they’re going to vote for me, and if other people want to give me their second, third or fourth, so be it.

“I’m here and I’m running. If I get in, I get in, if I don’t, I don’t.”

Also in attendance at the forum organised by Save Our SNAs and Equality in Education at the National Handball Alley in Dublin, was Sinn Féin’s candidate Janice Boylan and party President Mary Lou McDonald.