Michael Nugent - Activism

Activism

In 1986, Nugent joined the newly-founded Progressive Democrats, working with Michael Keating TD who he had befriended during his VEC days. He soon left the PDs, saying that he was disillusioned with the clientilist system and that he believed in the need to tackle the Northern Ireland problem on a cross-party basis.

In the late 1980s, Nugent was spokesperson for a campaign against the conviction of two Tallaght youths for robbery and assault. In 1990, Taoiseach Charles Haughey assured the youths’ families and Nugent that new evidence would be considered. In 1993, the government announced a new law to enable this to happen and, in 2001, the case was declared a miscarriage of justice.