TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has been accused of having “played the victim” over messages of abuse sent to him in relation to the ongoing abortion debate.

Independent, pro-life senator Rónán Mullen has responded to Kenny’s comments this morning that he has received messages written in blood and and been accused of being a murderer ahead of the government’s planned introduction of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill.

Mullen said in a statement this afternoon that it is not unusual for such messages to be sent to members of the Oireachtas and attached a copy of a message sent to the Taoiseach and copied to other TDs and Senators including him as an example.

“I forward it because the Taoiseach is probably not going to refer to it in the Dáil. But he is referring, yet again, to alleged nasty messages which he has received on the abortion issue,” Mullen said.

The message, seen in full by TheJournal.ie, contains a litany of spelling and grammar errors and includes these sentences: “You are vile and vulgar Fenian Trash. I can only hope I live longer than the pair of you for if I do I will dig up your remains and play football with your scull.”

Mullen said that he believes Kenny’s comments this morning are a “spin tactic” designed to distract people from the government’s “deeply unpleasant” abortion legislation.

He said: “This legislation will radically change the care given to unborn children in Irish hospitals and lead to increased trauma for many women who will be affected by the abortions which some psychiatrists will certify.

“Yet the Taoiseach has on several occasions played the victim around nasty messages of an anti-abortion nature that he tells us he has received.”

Mullen insisted that everyone in the Oireachtas gets “this kind of stuff” and said of the abuse he has received: “I was called a ‘p****’ the other day in the street because of my stance.”

Taoiseach: I’m being branded a murderer and getting letters written in blood