THREE Kilkenny TDs banned from Russia by Putin

Three Kilkenny TDs have been banned from entering Russia by Vladimir Putin.

The TDs are among a list of 52 Irish politicians banned from the country for what Russia has described as 'an aggressive anti-Russian propaganda campaign.' 

A Russian statement said: "In response to the anti-Russian course of the Irish Government, which unconditionally supports the unilateral restrictive measures introduced by the European Union against Russian citizens aimed at attempts to isolate our country internationally, a decision was made to include 52 key representatives of the leadership and politicians of Ireland in the Russian ‘stop list’."

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The three TDs, named by the Irish Independent this morning, are: Deputy John McGuinness Chair of the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform. Fianna Fail); Deputy John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael); and Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail).

There are no Sinn Féin or Green Party politicians on the list, so Kilkenny's Deputy Kathleen Funchion and Minister Malcolm Noonan are not named. The full list can be read on the Irish Independent website.