Fine Gael senator Colm Burke has spoken of how he has been left "disappointed" and upset after his constituency office was badly vandalised over the weekend.
According to Burke, a number of bricks were hurled through the window of his office in Blackpool, Co Cork on Sunday evening.
The senator, who is running in the 2020 General Election, took to social media to share photos of the extent of damage done to the premises, Cork Beo reports.
Sharing his distress, Burke said on Twitter: "Bricks fired through the window in my office in Blackpool this evening.
"It has been a difficult few days with over 250 posters taken down and illegally removed."
He added: "No candidate or their staff should have to face this, but my campaign and I won’t be intimidated or deterred."
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland this morning Burke revealed he received a call shortly after 8.15pm on Sunday from a local business who informed him that his office had been targeted.
Burke said: "I met the gardai last night and had a meeting again this morining.
"I've never got a threat or anything like this before so it's very disappointing."
He also said he had been told by one lady on Friday evening that there was people using ladders to deliberately take down his election posters.
His Fine Gael colleague Simon Coveney shared his support for the senator on Twitter last night.
He said "Stay strong @SenColmBurke, don’t be intimidated by this kind of thuggery. Fine Gael is a party that represents everyone, from all walks of life, we listen to frustrations & criticism and respond as best we can.
"But this should not be part of elections or politics."
A garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí attended an incident of criminal damage at a property on Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, Co. Cork yesterday, Sunday 19 January at approximately 8:10pm.
"No one was injured during the incident. No arrests made and investigations are ongoing."
The incident comes following another case of involving alleged vandals targeting a local councillor's office in Co. Meath.
