Controversial tweets from Fianna Fáil election candidate Lorraine Clifford Lee shouldn't mean the end of her political career, according to one of her colleagues.
Justice Spokesman Jim O'Callaghan said the comments the Waterford native made were offensive and suggested she meet with Traveller group Pavee Point.
Over the weekend old tweets from Fianna Fáil's by-election candidate in Dublin Fingal emerged.
Lorraine Clifford Lee tweeted a number of times in 2011, making references offensive to travellers.
She said a 'knacker' had stolen her car - and that some clothes she had seen looked like they were from a 'traveller wedding'.
She also tweeted about how a "black Brazilian dwarf with ginger hair" had sat next to her on the bus.
This morning her party colleague Jim O'Callaghan defended her.
He said comments from years ago should not mean the end of someone's political career.
The Senator has apologised for her tweets, saying there's a right wing smear campaign against her.
Certainly a poor start to a by-election campaign.
