Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has denied he is derailing the Labour Party's general election campaign.

Senior party sources have raised concern about the party’s deputy leader and the constant controversy surrounding him.

Speaking in Co Tipperary, Mr Kelly said he had not heard any complaints from members or supporters.

He said: “If I’m asked the question, I’ll answer it. I have a portfolio, I’m a Minister of government and I’m deputy leader of a party and I’m very proud of it.

“I’m going to be in politics for a long time and I’m going to be in the Labour Party for a long time.”

Party figures have claimed Mr Kelly is being brought up by voters as an issue as the party canvasses for support in the general election.

However, the Minister for the Environment insisted he has a “huge work schedule”, including media interviews organised by the party in the coming days.

He added: “I think in fairness, the election is going to kick off this week. I think there probably has been a bit of a slow start all round in general.

“The election, I don’t believe, has caught fire to be honest and when the election catches fire, I believe personality issues and discussions on certain individuals will diminish quite substantially. Because we really should be concentrating on the different policy issues. We really should be discussing the differences between the party.”

Mr Kelly was speaking at his official campaign launch in Co Tipperary on Saturday night.

Garda contact

He also revealed to reporters that gardaí are in constant contact over threats to his family.

The Labour deputy leader said the past two years had been extremely difficult for him and his wife.

He said: “We’re a young family with young kids, you have responsibilities to ensure that everybody is safe and protected, you do have concerns when you are getting phone calls late at night and when gardaí are telling you you are under threat.

‘Dissident issues’

“One particular time a superintendent told me there were dissident issues going on. So them things upset and worry you.

“I believe in sharing everything with your family to make them fully aware with what is going on, so, they were some emotional times.

“You get different stuff in the post. The lads in the office got so much stuff, post and phone calls, different other stuff, so it was just an emotional time. I had never faced anything like that before.”

Mr Kelly has been targeted with a number of death threats since being appointed Minister for the Environment.

He said there was a theory this was all being co-ordinated by one person, but claims it was much wider than that.