A Fine Gael TD, whose being criticised for saying Dublin's O'Connell Street is full of 'druggies', says he stands over the comments.
Paul Kehoe used the term while calling for action on crime in the area, saying he's ashamed of the capital's main street.
But it's been described as stigmatising and degrading language by those involved in helping drug users.
Deputy Kehoe says the area is a dive and that he stands by what he said:
"I realise that this isn't the trendy phrase and apparently the PC brigade don't approve of my language, but I'm more interested in the victims of drug related crime that are making ordinary work in people's lives an absolute misery."
