Paul Murphy has said the far-right in Ireland is trying to get people to blame others for their problems.
The Solidarity/People Before Profit TD has said the grouping now has a 'toehold' here that it didn't have pre-pandemic.
He was speaking after attending a protest outside Leinster House on Wednesday over defective apartments.
He told The Pat Kenny Show there was a far-right protest happening at the same time.
"There was maybe 100/150 people at the far-right protest, kind of focused on opposition to vaccines, to abortion, to referendum for the right to housing, to objective sex education.
"A crowd of them spotted me and and kind of gathered around me - maybe 20/25 people.
"In my face, obviously loads of camera phones, shouting 'paedo' at me, 'baby killer' - those kind of things".
He said he was walking away when one of them kicked him.
"Kicked me in a way to try and make me trip over, I think it was what was happening there".
I went out to join protesters in front of the Dáil today who are campaigning for redress for apartment defects.
I was surrounded by a crowd of far-right activists shouting in my face and with one kicking me.— Paul Murphy 🏳️⚧️ (@paulmurphy_TD) September 14, 2022
He said he believes this is part of a wider issue of a far-right movement.
"They are dividing people - they're trying to get people to blame refugees or trans people or Travellers or whatever - as opposed to 'We need to build a movement and unite everybody'".
Deputy Murphy said there should be a political answer to this.
"What we need is a political answer to the rise of the far-right in this country.
"The far-right has emerged from a position of almost nothing in this country, during COVID, to now have a toehold in society.
"They did so by preying on people's fears about COVID, preying on an understandable correct opposition to people to the absolutely ham-fisted Government strategy in terms of dealing with COVID.
"And now they are preying on the housing crisis - and comments by section of the Government, which occasionally point to 'Oh, this is because we have too many refugees, etc'.
"We need a political answer - which is the building of a significant force of the left - to say that the problem here is those at the top.
"The right-wing politicians, the corporate landlords, the big energy companies who are engaged in profiteering", he added.
