FIANNA FÁIL POLITICIANS have raised concerns about security in Leinster House, telling the parliamentary party meeting they are fearful of being attacked.
A number of members recounted their own difficulties with incidences in which they were shouted at and felt harassed leaving and entering the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Politicians said there was a need for improvements on security for members both inside and outside Leinster House, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin stating that security is something to be taken seriously.
It is understood the discussion about the need for improvements to security as well as criticisms around standards slipping took up a lot of time in the early part of the meeting this evening.
The annual report of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission recently revealed that the running the Houses rose by €9 million last year to €141.5m, with the body which oversees services in the Dáil and Seanad, stressing the need to provide security for politicians, especially women.
It said it is focusing on ensuring that politicians have security “when carrying out their work away from Leinster House”, as it states that there has been a rise in threats of violence.
In light of this, the Commission put in place a scheme to implement “additional security measures” for members, “based on a security assessment of their constituency offices and homes” by their local Crime Prevention Officer.
“Protecting female members of the Houses from online threats and intimidation is a particularly important consideration,” the Commission stated in its report.
The Department of Public Expenditure is understood to be reviewing politicians’ security around Leinster House, meanwhile a new taskforce is to consider “measures to address the problem of abuse and harassment within political life”.
Over recent years a number of politicians, particularly female representatives, have spoken out about the level of abuse directed at them.
Minister of State Anne Rabbitte wrote in The Journal about threats she has received while in office.
While Holly Cairns, Social Democrats leader, has also been on the receiving end of sexist commentary and says there needs to be better ways to deal with it so that it doesn’t deter women from running for office.
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