FG councillor says sorry for tweet about autistic boy

FINE GAEL councillor Brian Murphy has apologised over an insensitive tweet about a boy with autism.

Hughie Malone, 11, appeared on Friday night’s Late Late Show to talk about a new documentary called Autism And Me.

When host Ryan Tubridy asked him what his aims in life were, his answer took everyone by surprise: ‘Driving planes into buildings, flying planes into skyscrapers.’ After tuning in towards the end of the segment, Mr Murphy wrote on Twitter: ‘Some kid on the Late Late Show just said he wants to fly planes into buildings when he grows up.’

But yesterday the 28-year-old councillor said: ‘I apologise to Hughie and to his family, it certainly wasn’t my intention to cause any offence. I didn’t realise he had autism.’