A pattern of personal abuse and intimidation is becoming ‘commonplace’ in Fine Gael, and the party is not dealing with it, current and former members have told Extra.ie.

Some of the behaviour ‘would have embarrassed Sinn Fein’, members have told headquarters.

Their comments come as Fine Gael TD John Deasy tells Extra.ie today that bullying and intimidation is so frequent in Waterford that the party hierarchy has become ‘desensitised’ to it.

And his stance is backed up by the frustrated efforts of party councillors and high-profile women members.

Meath councillor Paddy Meade complains that matters as serious as his car being firebombed, involving ‘elements’ of Fine Gael, were not dealt with. He also claims he was assaulted at a meeting where senior members of the party were present.

Mr Meade, who was involved in a court case with a fellow party member, said he and his family ‘don’t feel safe at certain Fine Gael meetings’ and the party is not not ‘a safe society in Co. Meath’.

Former Fine Gael councillor Fiona McLoughlin Healy, who topped the poll in the Newbridge ward in the recent local election for Kildare County Council, quit the party over claims of bullying last year, after running for the general election in 2016.

She told Extra.ie this week: ‘Fine Gael’s goal, if and when they do investigate complaints, is to minimise any damage to the party and to the elected TDs or councillors. In my experience, the outcomes of investigations have more to do with political expediency than any real commitment to holding any party member to account.

‘The party must be protected first and foremost. Senior members in Fine Gael knew and accepted my complaints about members in FG in Kildare. That was irrelevant to Fine Gael’s desired outcome which was to have no one held to account, and in particular no elected representative held to account.

‘That Martin Heydon is now the go-to person for complaints to be addressed is telling, given his failure to address bad behaviour of which he had been made aware in his own constituency.’ The criticism comes as the party last night refused to comment on the fact that Barry Walsh, who resigned from the national executive over online bullying claims, was allowed to remain within Fine Gael.

Deputy Kate O’Connell complained about his tweets, which included calling women ‘bitches’, in November 2017, ahead of the Referendum on the Repeal of the 8th Amendment, but he successfully appealed his proposed suspension, and remains a party member.

Another female parliamentary party member, Senator Catherine Noone, was involved in high-profile bullying claims against a senior party member, who vehemently denies them.

She told Extra.ie this week: ‘It is ironic that a person who makes such claims finds themselves at the centre of the media attention.’ The issue has come to the fore this week because of an internal row in Waterford, which saw the local organisation vote no confidence in sitting TD Mr Deasy.

Mr Deasy told Extra.ie that there have been serious incidents in the Fine Gael Waterford organisation for two decades. ‘I and my supporters have been dealing with this for 20 years,’ he said, ‘my dad was dealing with this behaviour himself.’ His father, Austin Deasy, was a Fine Gael Agriculture Minister and also a Waterford TD.

The no-confidence motion in Mr Deasy was proposed by the brother his close party rival in the area, Senator Paudie Coffey.

But now Mr Deasy says: ‘Myself and my supporters believe what has happened is good thing because it means it is out in the open. The Taoiseach has reacted to it.’

He added: ‘I believe the Taoiseach when he says a review is necessary, I think for that reason this week has been a good week, albeit a difficult week because I think the first serious steps have been taken to review the entire organisation and this behaviour.

‘Leo’s a straight shooter, that’s why, when he says he is going to carry out a review I believe him. And it will happen, he knows.’ He said the torment he has endured from party colleagues involves ‘personal abuse at meetings, allegations made, intimidation, bullying, for years. This is not just at meetings, but there has been overt criticism in the media for years that has been ignored by headquarters’.

He added: ‘And I’d say we’ve actually become desensitised to it, it’s occurred so frequently over the years, it’s been almost impossible to react to it.’ He and his supporters are seriously distressed that HQ has failed to respond to emails and documented complaints about bullying. ‘All of this has been communicated to headquarters, without ever being responded to. And has been documented,’ he said.

Extra.ie can reveal that two emails have been sent by Mr Deasy to headquarters, containing serious allegations, but neither has been even responded to.

Mr Deasy also said that the membership of the local organisation wasn’t ‘fit for purpose’.

Senator Coffey — who is currently involved in a high-profile defamation case involving another FG TD, Minister John Paul Phelan — told Extra.ie: ‘I reject totally the assertions made by Mr Deasy that the Waterford FG executive officers and members are not “fit for purpose” — these people are independent-minded volunteers who give of their time freely for the betterment of politics and the Fine Gael party here in Waterford.

‘I also refute, in the strongest possible terms, any allegations of bullying of Mr Deasy or his supporters within the Waterford FG Organisation in my experience. And I look forward to a full and thorough engagement with the Fine Gael National Executive on these matters.

‘I believe these issues are red herrings, raised by the deputy to deflect away from the very obvious loss of support from the deputy’s long-term support base in FG.’ He said he would not comment further. He also did not want to comment on his intentions over a rerun of a defamation case against a newspaper, which has been listed for trial.

Councillor Meade said: ‘I’m just a little councillor you see, when you look at something like the Maria Bailey case, which hit the national headlines, the party can move quickly and investigate quickly. Yet, I gave statements to Tom Curran [party general secretary] and Gerry O’Connell [a former organiser] and I have not heard back from them.’ His car was burned out at his home after a particularly fractious party meeting and he said his complaints to party headquarters were ignored until local media contacted Fine Gael headquarters repeatedly.

While one local minister, Regina Doherty, has been supportive, the other, Helen McEntee, has not spoken to him about it, he said.

He also said that a party member grabbed him by the collar at a meeting, in front of his family.

Fine Gael issued a statement after he gave an interview on LMFM saying that it condemned the attacks on his home and that people with information should contact the Garda. When asked why he believed the party had not taken his allegations seriously he said: ‘There is a hierarchy in Fine Gael of minister, TD, senator, HQ official, councillor then member. Obviously, as a little councillor I am very far down in importance and they just didn’t see me as important.’

Mr Deasy said: ‘The effect this has had is that for many years people who are involved in the Fine Gael organisation are not participating any longer, and haven’t for many, many years.’ Asked about Mr Deasy’s comments, a FG spokesman said: ‘Any allegations of bullying will be fully investigated.’

Asked about Cllr Meade’s claims he said: ‘Fine Gael completely condemned the attack at the family home of Meath Cllr Paddy Meade last year and do so again. Any attack on a person, whether they are a public representative or a private citizen, or on their property, must be unreservedly condemned.’