Paul Murphy has confirmed he is leaving the Socialist Party and will launch a new group on Monday.
The Dublin South-West TD has been a member of the Dail since 2014 and was one of three Socialist TDs elected in the 2016 General Election along with Ruth Coppinger and Mick Barry.
He previously served as an MEP for Dublin from 2011 to 2014.
It has been reported that Murphy was at odds with the party for a year over the level of co-operation it should have with other left-leaning parties.
Confirming the news this afternoon, he said: "After an extensive debate within the Socialist Party, a group of members, including me, have decided to leave and intend to launch a new socialist group.
"When we decided to leave, the Party accepted that and we all aim to have an amicable and cooperative relationship in the future in the interests of working class people."
Deputy Murphy will launch his new socialist group next Monday at 1pm in Buswell’s Hotel.
The Tallaght-based TD added that he would continue to be a member of the Solidarity-People Before Profit grouping in the Dail and would continue to work closely with the other five TDs in that group.
In June 2017, Murphy was found not guilty of falsely imprisoning former Tanaiste Joan Burton and her adviser during a 2014 water charges protest in Jobstown.
The TD, along with South Dublin County Councillors Michael Murphy and Kieran Mahon, Scott Masterson, Frank Donaghy and Michael Banks had pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her adviser Karen O’Connell by restricting their personal liberty without their consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght on 15 November 2014.
They were found not guilty following a 40-day trial Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
