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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said there should be a garda review of the security for Irish politicians following the fatal stabbing of UK MP David Amess.
Speaking today in Brussels, Martin said he has been “roared and screamed at” while walking down the street but that he is keen to protect the connection between the public and politicians.
“We depend in Ireland, well not depend, but it’s part of our ecosystem in politics to have clinics to have that interaction with people on the ground, which is a very positive feature of Irish politics and we have to protect that,” he said.
But I think it’s through the intelligence network and the intelligence capacity of An Garda Síochána and others, it’s the ultimate protection that we can give to politicians to spot things before they become challenging and difficult.
Amess, a Conservative MP for Southend West, was fatally stabbed last Friday during constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex.
An Taoiseach said today that “no one wants obtrusive or an over the top security presence around politicians” but that a review was needed.
“I think we do need to review it, in terms of what security is required. What I mean by that is people keeping a very sharp eye and gardaí are well placed to do that and have an idea of what’s happening in different extreme groups and people who are harassing,” he said.
There are difficulties I think, the online sort of hate messaging. Groups are forming who create bile around politicians and target politicians and target others as well and I think that’s not acceptable either. I think the physical security we have to keep an eye on it.
In recent weeks there have been a number of protests at the home of Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and calls for greater enforcement of legislation to prevent intimidatory protests.
Varadkar has said he does not wish to give oxygen to such protests by discussing them and Martin said today that his home has also previously been the site of demonstrations.
“I don’t think, for example, people should come up to someone’s home, we’ve all experienced it, I’ve never made a big deal about it but there have been protests, they haven’t been violent or anything like that but there have been protests at one’s home, that’s been around for a long, long time in different ministries and so on,” he said.
I always make a point of walking my street, there were times in my political life when people who would have encircled me and would have roared and screamed at me, shouted and held phones up to your face and all the rest of it. I would keep going because I think it’s absolutely essential that we don’t lose the ground and don’t lose the streets. As elected representatives I’m a passionate believer in parliamentary democracy.
He added: “We need to protect the ingredient in Irish politics, that connection between people and sometimes I think some extreme political groups want to disrupt that connection but that’s part of the agenda.”
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Half of them should be thrown in jail for what they did to this country never mind protecting them.
@Cian: Sure 100% correct in what you are saying, far too many dead wood and corrupt TD’s in Dail Eireann
@Cian: so make sure you cast your vote at the polling Station and if that’s not good enough for you get out and walk the streets, knock on doors doors start canvassing.
@Cian: doesn’t make “protesting” at peoples houses and harassing their families acceptable.
Yet yesterday Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave another extension until 31 March 2022 for the IRBC commission investigation into the Siteserv transaction.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/1faa0-ibrc-commission-of-investigation-extension-of-deadline-for-reporting-and-publication-of-tenth-interim-report/
Micheál Martin was called as a witnesses. A list of four including Mr Denis O’Brien and former Minister for Finance, Mr Michael Noonan.
A commission setup in 2015. Part one was the Siteserv transaction leaving another 38 parts till to be investigated.
The public has a right to defend themselves against political corruption and insider dealings.
@leartius: not by harassing people at their family homes they feckin don’t!
@leartius: it shouldn’t need to be said, but violence is not the answer.
@Graham Manning: isn’t that what politicians do when they are canvassing harass people in their homes
Implement policies fairer to the general public. That will go a long way towards ensuring safety.
(In no way whatsoever do I condone what happenEd in England RIP)
@Chris Hennessy: *happened
@Chris Hennessy: Nice victim blaming there. Your comment does somewhat condone violence against those who implement policies you don’t like.
@Mickety Dee: You managed to read a lot into my comment. I was not victim blaming . I specifically said ‘In no way whatsoever do I condone what happenEd in England’
I do however understand the sheer fear , and frustration brought about by policies which consistently and continuously damage the livelihoods of the ordinary citizens of this country .
If you want to talk about victims can we start with the total lack of investigation into Tuam? The women forced to go to court for redress after the cervical smear scandal? The people forced to go to court over the Hep C scandal . The symphisiotomy scandal? Maurice McCabe? I could go on , but I think that you get my point
@Chris Hennessy: Are you implying that violence is OK if a person believes they are unfairly treated?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: are you suggesting there’s never times when violence is justified because a person is being unfairly treated (for example when violence is being done to them)?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: What I am trying to say is that the more fairly a country is run, the more equal it’s citizens are treated, the less likely it is that people are going to feel this anger , let alone vent it in such violent ways
@Chris Hennessy: But what you also said was that implementing fairer policies would go a long way towards ensuring safety. Adding that you don’t condone what happened in England doesn’t change that statement, which suggests that politicians safety goes hand in hand with the perceived fairness of their policies.
@John Duggan: Pretty sure it’s clear that’s not what he’s suggesting, but go ahead and continue blurring the lines between discontent and the need for violence. Everyone understands the nuances, right? Nobody ever takes things too far, right?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: when politicians enact policies that push people into poverty, start wars, and cost lives then of course there’s going to be impacts on their personal safety. Personally i think if politicians are effectively war criminals then yeah, they should expect physical violence.
@John Duggan: Reading between the lines, “If politicians don’t implement policies I like they should be intimidated until they do”. We live in a democracy so politicians can be changed very easily if the people will it. Note, you are not the people
@OnlyHereForTheComments: I wasn’t trying to change my statement or abate it.
@Chris Hennessy: when someone is radicalised the “fairness” of how a country is run has little or no meaning to their warped mind. For example Gemma ODoherty called for nurses to be hanged for telling school children to use hand sanitizer. Does this seem sane or even fair or justified? GoD has a lot of followers who worship her ideology and have been the perpetrators for many of these protests and threats to TDs. They think it’s not fair we should have to wear masks or social distances they have a vendetta towards the Garda and regularly cause public disturbances. So by your statement that “they (politicans)should implement policies fairer to the general public will go a long way to ensure their safety. You are infact condoning violence towards a politican if they enact a policy that you think is unfair. Because each an everyone of us is the general public. In a democracy we create change in the polling Station not with violence or intimidation.
I have no problem with such a review being carried out but it should only take place after they do a report and make recommendations on keeping the public safe from the politicians…
Of course the cowardly oik Martin wants to make sure he’s protected… can’t imagine anyone risking their freedom to have a pop at him though.
Glad to hear he’s been roared and screamed at walking down the street though, he deserves not a moments peace.
@John Duggan: Calm down.
@John Duggan: According to our constitution everyone has the right to life (Article 40.4), including politicians too. I don’t like a lot of FFG’s politics but that doesn’t mean they deserve death threats or to be subject to any behaviour that threatens their security. You might not risk your freedom to attack them but there 100% are people that would, some who have nothing to lose.
@UltraToons -Kel-: Some people have nothing to lose because they lost everything thanks to reckless government policy. Who could blame them for holding Captain Charisma and friends to account for it.
@David F. Dwyer: said no defence lawyer ever!
@SmallbutMighty: I’m not a defence lawyer. I’m just a man who reads the obituaries with interest.
He won’t put security on public transport. But thinks he should be protected full time by the garda. Just because someone shouted at him…
@Odd Socks: that’s not actually what he’s saying though is it. He’s asking the Garda to do the job they are paid to do. Use their resources to prevent crime.
Investigate 3rd highest in Europe for money into health per person one of the worst homelessness why house prices so high vulture funds why 160 tds population 5million britian 65millin 600 why landlords in the Dail.allowed to vote on housing bills why
Not enough guards on the streets and u want them looking after u wasters!!
How are people slating Michael Martin for saying this ?
Irrelevant if you support the government or not, they are somewhat exposed especially when society is clearly becoming more and more aggressive towards politicians.
It’s about protecting democracy.. if you don’t like a politician , fine .. don’t vote for them, that’s how it works ..
@Ciaran: when they make decisions that materially negatively impact my life, I’m going to be abusive/aggressive towards them, whether or or not I’ve personally voted for them.
@Ciaran: I agree with you. The politicians have to help themselves also though. Getting elected on promises that they have no intention of keeping only riles people. That will never be fixed in a system with no accountability though.
@John Duggan: and that’s how you define democracy ? Shows your lack of class and character ..
@Ciaran: if they actually kept the promises they make to get in I’d be inclined to be more forgiving of bad decisions. As it is my definition of democracy doesn’t protect people who gain their positions fraudulently (i.e., by lying)… strange that yours does; really shows your class and character.
@John Duggan: My version of democracy protects everyone from violence. Strange that yours seems to come with aggression-resulting terms and conditions.
@John Duggan: there is a divide between work life and personal life.
If you drive a taxi, and you take me a different route that I would have suggested, does that give me the right to harass and shout abuse at you if I see you walking down the street with your partner the next day ?
You think he lied ? Fine. Then protest. See if you can get him out of office early or make sure his party doesn’t get in office again.
If I see any politician out in public, I won’t shout in anger like a coward from across the street like you clearly said you would. You can disagree yes, be angry yes, but be civilised. This isn’t Eastenders..
If this was Mary Lou stating protection for elected officials, you would 100% have less of an issue.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: well then your version of democracy isn’t the one we have given government policies enact violence on citizens (such as homelessness and poverty).
@John Duggan: so you don’t believe in democracy then!
@John Duggan: when someone is running for election they only make promises in what they will work on or bring forward before the Dail. They can’t actually promise I’ll do x y and z because there are a lot of hoops and negotiations and budgets and prioritisation to jump through before anything is completed. It is very naive of you to think if something in a canvassing brochure isn’t exercised then you were lied to. Can you imagine the shit show if every single TD was allowed to exercise their wish list. How would that even work. I’m not sure you understand how a government works.
That’s all we need now, all TDs entitled to armed Police escorts, which will probably inflate their egos and self importance even more, not to mention the cost of this. We wantonly waste enough public money in this country as it is, so no this would be a bad idea.
@The Firestarter: did you read a different article then what’s posted or do you have difficulty with comprehension? He’s asking for the Garda to be more proactive in preventing attacks and greater enforcement of legislation that’s already there. Basically he’s asking the Garda to do their job so they can prevent crimes from happening rather than investigating crimes that have already happened. That in the long run is cheaper on the tax payer. Sorry if I just blew your mind a little.
@SmallbutMighty: what attacks have they failed to prevent?
@John Duggan: it’s future tense. Kind of what crime prevention means!
JESUS, Get over himself
Politicians who have betrayed their citizens should face justice.
@Ruairi Colton: so stabbing someone is justice. Nice morals there.
Trying to cover your a ss again Micheàl
Probably being stalked by Jackie Healy Rae.
Mr Martin question straight at you. Why do you think you need extra security. You must know you got up someone’s nose.
There must be a way to get rid of theses td’s, something like an election every few years and if they get back in it would be our fault
@gavin o brien: no wonder there’s always such a poor turn out at the polling Station and we end 7p with the same year after year. People don’t actually understand they have a vote and can use it or run for election.
If they weren’t so out of touch with the reality of everyday living and didn’t come across as aloof and arrogant maybe they wouldn’t need protection. Besides I’ve seen better manners in a creche than the Daily chambers
Security please the only security that should be done is to remove most of the pensions politicans get because they were already well paid with expensives.
Some difference in being shouted at and stabbed you self obsessed dose. He should have been pulled up on how he conflates angry citizens to a murderer. I think Martin would be safe enough in such an instance. He does that much kung fu with his hands, he’d most likely disarm any potential threat.
Meanwhile, there are parts of Dublin where perfectly innocent people are not safe, even in their homes, from attacks by drug gangs.
Unreal, there was an outpouring of condolences and sympathy for a British MP last week who was stabbed to death carrying out his duties as a political. Support for the fact that he has a right not to be physically harmed just because if his job regardless of your political view point. Now the minute an Irish TD asks for a review of protection of Irish TDs there’s a string of posts in support of violence or a dismissal of a TDs right to be protected in the work place. This statement from MM is a proactive approach to help prevent the same thing happening here, given we have had a number of occurrences of already of the general public thinking it’s OK to hold protests outside a TDs home or threaten a TD. Every human had a right to carry out their work without feeling threatened or abused and that includes you. If you don’t think an elected TD had a right to protection in work then you don’t believe in democracy or civil rights and you are no better then the person who stabbed David Amess. If you don’t like your politicians get out and vote or get off your arse and run for office.
@SmallbutMighty: “ every human had a right to carry out their work without feeling threatened or abused”… does that include soldiers acting as part of invading forces?
You really do spout a lot of nonsense.
@SmallbutMighty: I think you are reaching a bit here. Nobody wants to see anyone hurt while doing their job.
Our politicians do go overboard though when it suits them. They simply do not like being called out when they don’t do their job.
Historically, the people of Ireland have seen our political system directly and indirectly using force to stop people calling them out through protests etc. For example the water protests from a few years ago. Another example was this from a few years ago.
https://www.thejournal.ie/frank-feighan-scuffle-1696058-Sep2014/
Protection needs to work both ways. Politicians shouldn’t be able to direct local police forces etc to stop people from questioning their decisions.
@David Corrigan: as far as I’m aware I don’t pay water charges and was sent a cheque for anything I did pay. During the protest many of the public were abusive to Irish water staff just doing their job and that video link you shared shows someone approaching someone from behind and getting in their personal space and being shoved back. If someone crowded me like that I would absolutely push back. This article is about enacting the Garda is using and enforcing the resources and legislation they already have to protect people who are doing their job. Does someone actually have to be stabbed and a thread if thoughts and prayers have to be shared through social media before the people can have empathy.
@SmallbutMighty: All your posts clearly push the blame back on the public. Your views are very one sided.
We should probably leave it there as you are refusing to see things from both sides of the argument.
@David Corrigan: my side of the argument is that we live in a democracy, people have a right to do their work and not feel threatened or endangered, the Garda should use the resources and legislation they already have and the public can use their vote and run for election but should never resort to violence to get their political views across. If you disagree with any of that that’s fair enough but I certainly wouldn’t want to live in a community without those values. So we can agree to disagree.
@John Duggan: oh jeez you’re scrapping the bottom if the barrel here. Obviously some jobs are high risk jobs and there will be dangers involved while carrying out their line of duty this is something they are aware of. This does not mean they can be personally attacked for example. A solider such as Lee Rigby may get shot at in a war aka killed in the line of duty while carrying out those duties. But when he gets stabbed while walking down the street in uniform and off duty because someone doesn’t believe in the war they are fighting then this is a different situation.
@David Corrigan: “Both-sidesing”. That didn’t take long.
@John Duggan: my previous reply was deleted so I’ll rephrase. Dying while carrying out your duties in a high risk job is an entirely different thing to Dying outside of that roll at the hands of someone who has decided to act unlawfully. What you are advocating is that if someone is a solider you can walk up to them and kill them because you don’t like what they do and there is a risk they will get killed at work anyway. That’s pretty warped and thankfully most civilised people understand that.
@David Corrigan: I’ve no idea what that incident was about but I’d be pushing back if surrounded by a threatening crowd like that.
@Mickety Dee: Threatening crowd? It was an old man trying to ask Kenny a question.
Well Well Me-hole, to use the perverse thinking of civil servants back at them. What have you done wrong to be concerned for your safety? The Big Sell Out of the ordinary people at the highest level, that ff, fg, green and labor are guilty of. If you have done nothing wrong surly you have nothing to fear. Its not that long ago within the the buildings of the oireachtas that ff boxed and kicked their own members and continued to do so even though they fell to the ground the ground, and is it not true to say that one unfortunate individual never recovered. For those ff lackys who don’t like this comment tuff but i suggest you do your research before you attack like rabid dogs..
Anyone would do that if they saw a dope like him. Oh he will organise that with the guards fairly lively but ignore the fact about the amount of people who are renting and seeking mortgage approval. Ignore the housing crises. He has a job. Ya right. If he has a job he is not doing a good one.
Honestly who would be bothered not one of them is worth it
They’re quick to act on any potential threat to themselves. Well able to change policies and rules then. Once Varadkar became T, he gave himself a raise and uppped Taoiseachs pensions and benefits after leaving office. Also fixed FOI so that the public can’t see their expenses. Kenny made a rule that TDs can drive in bus lanes the first few days in office. They did all this in no time, yet they haven’t solved any public issues, allowing housing, healthcare etc continue to get worse and worse. Claiming things would be unconstitutional, like rent freezes. But can bring about changes to suit themselves almost instantly. They don’t and never will serve the public.
Politicians are people too it is strange how people on here take a very lax approach to harassment when it comes to elected officials if a fireman, nurse or an estate agent walked down the street would you go after them. This is nothing but uncivility and it brings out the worst in society.
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