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A Labour MEP has spoken of her deep shock after she was spat at and called “Labour scum” by an attacker.

Phil Prendergast, 54, was on the way to the funeral of the father of Labour TD Ciaran Lynch in Cork City.

The Labour MEP for Ireland South was approached by an individual who told her she was “Labour scum” before drawing phlegm and spitting in her eye.

Ms Prendergast reported the incident to Gardai.

She received medical attention after fears were raised of the potential for the transmission of disease through the mucus membrane in the eye.

The results of the tests won’t be known for six weeks.

Ms Prendergast said: “I have never felt so violated in all my life.

“I was walking alone at night through the city on my way to the funeral home when this individual approached me, called me “Labour scum” and proceeded to draw phlegm and spit at me in the eye.

“In all my years in politics I have never heard of, yet alone directly experienced, this type of human violation. I am deeply shocked by the incident and physically sickened.

“Politics is one thing, but when I was walking on that street I was not a politician, I was a 54 year old woman alone on a street at night, and I felt like that.

“I think this type of extremism is abhorrent. There is no way that individual would do that to a man.

“And to be honest I felt like immediately pulling out of politics once and for all but that would be giving that individual exactly what he wanted.

“I stand for the kind of politics where we debate issues, where we try to do the best for people and where depending on how successful we are, we are voted in or voted out.

“This type of behaviour has no place in a republic or a democracy.”