LIBERTAS leader Declan Ganley and his family received death threats during the European election campaign earlier this year.

The claims originally emerged in a Dutch newspaper and have been confirmed this weekend by the gardaí.

Eline van den Broek, one of the unsuccessful Libertas European election candidates in June, made reference to the claims a number of weeks ago in an interview and Libertas have refused to deny Ganley's life was threatened.

Speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in July, van den Broek, a Dutch Libertas candidate in June, came out with what the paper described as an "explosive statement" when she recounted Ganley telling her about the threats to his life.

She claimed Ganley told her in early July that he got death threats personally and his whole family was "in danger". He had previously told her of the claims on 28 May, shortly before the election.

In the interview, she recounted how Ganley sat at the kitchen table in his Galway home when he told her about the threats. She claimed he also told her of threats made against his business if he continued with his political movement.

A spokeswoman for the superintendent's office at Tuam garda station told the Sunday Tribune on Friday, "The superintendent can confirm that there was an incident reported to the gardaí, the contents of which she cannot relay.

"The matter was investigated and you can contact Mr Ganley if you wish about it."

A Libertas spokesman declined to comment about the reports of threats to Ganley' life but also refused to deny that threats were made.

The 42-year-old entrepreneur held a press conference in Dublin last Sunday to announce he will be campaigning for a No vote in the Lisbon treaty referendum on 2 October.