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Health Minister James Reilly Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Reilly: I don’t want to make a big deal of the threat to burn down my home

The Health Minister has revealed he received a letter to his home “threatening arson”

Updated 9.20pm

JAMES REILLY SAID earlier this afternoon that he does not want to make a big deal of a threat to burn down his home after he revealed to a local newspaper that he has received a letter from abortion opponents “threatening arson”.

Speaking to the Fingal Independent, the Health Minister said that he had recently received the letter to his family home from what he said were opponents of the abortion bill “threatening arson”.

“I’m not going to make a big deal of that,” Reilly said today. “Everybody’s been receiving all sorts of threats. I believe even journalists are having pretty nasty phone calls made to them as well.”

He said it was not nice for his family but that politicians  are “all in the same boat”. He added: “I wouldn’t want to be putting any oxygen on that particular fire if you’ll pardon the pun.”

Reilly is the latest politician to disclose abuse and threats received related to the ongoing abortion debate.

Last week Enda Kenny told the Dáil that he had received “letters covered in blood” while independent TD John Halligan said he was warned to check under his car.

“Lots of people are enduring what I think is unfortunate because I think it is unnecessary,” he said.

Reilly said that a “small number of people” have “gone further than they should”  but said he believed things would settle down once the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill is passed into the law.

He added that the government was “determined to live up to our obligations”.

More: ‘Specific threats’ made on life of Pro-Life campaigner Caroline Simons

TD warned: ‘Your days are numbered, check under your car’

Rónán Mullen: Taoiseach playing the victim over nasty abortion messages

Taoiseach: I’m being branded a murderer and getting letters written in blood

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    Mute Ronan
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    Jan 16th 2015, 6:50 PM

    A crash, or as Elon Musk described it “a rapid unscheduled disassembly”. Maybe next time…

    73
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    Mute ChemRobb
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    Jan 16th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Fascinating technology! Even if the rocket had crashed into the drone ship and damaged it enough to sink it, it would have been a success by the sole fact it had reached its intended target within the acceptable margins of error!

    The fact the ship only has superficial damage means the next attempt next month has a real possibility of success! Musk really puts his money where is mouth is!!

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    Mute Colin Howell
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    Jan 16th 2015, 6:46 PM

    Onwards and upwards!

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    Mute John Fee
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    Jan 16th 2015, 8:28 PM

    Excelsior

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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Jan 16th 2015, 7:25 PM

    It wasn’t really coming down to hard that did the damage, more the sudden stop!

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    Mute Vaibhav Borse
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    Jan 16th 2015, 6:46 PM

    No bother, they are learning smthing at least, probably how NOT to make the rocket…

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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    Jan 16th 2015, 9:20 PM

    He’s gonna need a bigger boat.

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    Mute James O Donoghue
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    Jan 16th 2015, 8:30 PM

    so close. Valuable data for next time.

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    Mute Jimmy Casey
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    Jan 16th 2015, 9:25 PM

    “Musk wants to transform the industry by honing technology that would allow rockets to return to Earth intact for use again and again, much like the airline industry does with passenger planes.”

    Ha, disposable passenger planes “everyone out, this one in going in the Irish sea.”

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    Mute Desmodromic
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    Jan 16th 2015, 8:43 PM

    Apparently the angle of arrival is a major factor in its chances of survival

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    Mute David Nolan
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    Jan 16th 2015, 10:28 PM

    Wow.

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