Presidential hopeful Sean Gallagher has clarified comments he made comparing his legal battle with RTE to clerical sex abuse.

The comments were made in a television interview in early 2012 and re-emerged on social media this week as the presidential campaign kicks off.

In the video, Mr Gallagher, who came second to Michael D Higgins in the 2011 election, said there were “similarities and parallels” between RTE and the way the Catholic Church reacted when it became aware of abuse.

“The point I was making in that video was, very often when an individual takes on an institution, the institutions do what institutions do – they lock down and protect the institution and sometimes the walls they put up compound the first problem rather than deal with it,” he said.

“I was just drawing an example, whether it’s taking on a government department or the HSE (Health Service Executive), they go into lockdown, rather than putting their hands up and saying, ‘We made mistakes, let’s deal with it’, and in a sense the protracted battle that you have to go through in order to get an explanation or fairness compounds the very issue in the first instance.

“That’s the analogy I was making, not in reference to aligning it with specifics, that is the principle.”

Mr Gallagher received “substantial” damages and an apology from RTE in a settlement against the state broadcaster arising from the “Tweetgate” incident during the 2011 presidential election campaign.

Mr Gallagher claimed a programme featuring the election candidates was deliberately and unfairly edited by RTE to damage his electoral prospects.

His complaint centred on the use of a tweet mentioned during the programme which came from a fake Martin McGuinness Twitter account. The late Sinn Fein leader was also running for president.

Mr Gallagher was considered a front-runner in the 2011 race until the incident, which occurred during a TV debate.

“My intention was to give an example and that must’ve been very current at the time. Today I might make the reference in regard to the HSE and the victims who have had challenges accessing their records and having to fight an institution,” he added.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said an example, I should’ve said when an individual takes on an institution they’re often compounded with a blockade.”

Mr Gallagher spoke to media on Monday at Dublin’s St Patrick’s teaching college, a stop on his campaign trail.

There are six candidates in the running including Mr Higgins.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail backed Mr Higgins for re-election, and did not field their own candidates in support of his campaign.

The election will take place on Friday October 26, with the winner will be inaugurated on November 11.