The Minister for Children James Reilly was forced to abandon his car in Bluebell in Dublin yesterday due to a protest.
Minister Reilly was at the Bluebell Youth and Community Project to launch the National Youth Strategy 2015-2020.
Mr Reilly arrived at the event at about 2.30pm and his driver parked the car. A number of protesters had gathered outside the event.
It is understood they were demonstrating against Minister Reilly's presence in the area.
He was at the launch for more than two hours, during which time gardaí were monitoring the protest.
It is understood gardaí advised the minister not to return to his vehicle in the interest of public safety.
Mr Reilly left the centre by a back door and took alternative transport.
The car he had travelled to the event in was then surrounded by a group of protesters.
It is reported eggs and stones were thrown at the car.
Video posted to social media shows members of the Garda Public Order Unit attending the protest in Bluebell.
Gardaí took the car to Kilmainham Garda Station.
A spokesperson for the minister said it was understood gardaí had photographed the car and that it remained at the garda station overnight.
Posts to the Éirígí Facebook page stated that Bluebell residents had spontaneously and peacefully protested against the presence of Minister James Reilly in their community, and that the Garda Public Order Unit was deployed there.
Minister James Reilly's car attacked with eggs and rocks in Bluebell D12 @IrelandLive @Herald_ie @Independent_ie pic.twitter.com/VahFI2jM9p
— john rooney (@johnrooney12) October 8, 2015
A spokesperson for Éirigí said the protest was not organised by Eirigí but that members of the party had gone to the demonstration in support of local residents.
The Éirígí spokesperson said the protest was spontaneous and that it had been arranged by local residents at short notice after it emerged Minister Reilly would be in the area yesterday.
The spokesperson said the protest was peaceful.
They added that members of the community had agreed with local gardaí that they could slow-march alongside Minister Reilly's car as it was being taken away.
However, the Éirígí spokesperson said gardaí had lost control of the situation, and the Garda Public Order Unit was called in.
Another person who observed the protest said a number of people who did not live in the area had joined the protest.
A garda spokesperson confirmed that gardaí were investigating a public order incident that happened in Bluebell yesterday.
The spokesperson added there were no arrests or injuries, and declined to comment any further.
