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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.
While not condoning any type of Violence, perhaps these Politicians should be asking themselves why people might react in a manner like this. Our Politicians promise the Sun, Moon and Stars, but just deliver Austerity and failed Housing, and Health to name but a few Policies.
@Owen Mc: while I would understand that point in the context of Government politicians where their policies affect real people, the abuse isn’t as aimed at Government politicians as you’d think. Certainly, when viewing these abusive videos online, it is often pre-meditated and organised. And it is often the same names and characters, Derek Blighe, Ross Lahive, Andrew Heasman, people with arrest records. And, yes, it’s mostly targeted at women and if not women, then at politicians in seats of opposition who have very little power to do anything about the conditions imposed by Government. It’s a very strange kind of abuse, designed to politically profile the abuser while using easy targets.
Perhaps FFG/ Greens should ask themselves why extra security is needed.
Not just Leinster House the whole city.
With all the unvetted migration coming here and those loosing it on airplane, boat , or from the UK ,plus A few thousand who have been given deportation orders and never left, I think we citizens and our children will need alot more security in the future ,thank your government.
It’s not worth his while, himself and his party will be gone soon enough..bye bye fianna gael
@retro sun: you didn’t even read the headline, did you? ;)
“Beware of the thing that is comein. Beware of the risen people.” – Padraic Pearse
This govt will go down as 1 of the WORST in history books
I thought it be hard to beat the Bertie monopoly money years, but feck me!
STOP LIVING IN A BUUBLE , STOP LISTENING TO BIASED EVIL NGO’S, BE MORE FAIRER TO YAH KNOW IRISH BORN AND BRED VOTERS, CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, WE CANT HELP EVERYONE WITH A REAL AND BOGUS SOB STORY!
P.S. save the choc ice!
Be afraid. Be very afraid….
If I was sh!t at my job I’d hope people would say something too
Control the right wing cohort as Mehole calls us the people.
The real priority for Mehole and Leakey Leo now is to secure cosy, well-paid little positions for themselves in Europe after the next election.
Or, in Mehole’s case, a possible shot at the Presidency ?
Inflated egos to the fore. Security from what exactly
If you can’t handle the heat. Get out of the kitchen
These politicians must remember who elected them and who they are answerable to.
The word politics comes from poly, meaning many, and ticks, meaning bloodsucking parasites
Just wanted to get that in before “abuse” of politicians is made illegal
@Sean: LOL
There’s an awful lot of flippant comments here dismissing threats to politicians safety. The facts worldwide show it’s becoming a very dangerous job however, and you only have to look to our nearest neighbour where two MPs have been killed in recent years, solely because they were politicians. Do we want the same thing occurring here? My answer is absolutely not, even if I vehemently disagree with some of the people representing us is the Dáil these days.
@Longlin: you’ve come to the wrong place to speak sense.
@The Real Deal: yes they do. The Govt is formed from the majority of TDs the people elected to the Dail.
@Longlin: Outside pickets being placed outside the homes of politicians, which is wrong, what other threat are they under. ? .When you consider the likes of Varadkar who used the Attorney General to get him off the hook and was able to get away with leaking confidential government documents..Himself and Martin claim they are the victims. The fact they now claim they need protection from the electorate is comical.
They are just so out of touch with the people, The waste of money by this Government is beyond shocking
If they served the people as they are elected to do and actually really did the best for their people and not serve themselves or the EU or big corporations as much as they do they wouldn’t need to look at security like this. I don’t recognise Ireland anymore. It’s like living through a nasty divorce, people are down, angry and depressed. The few at the top appear to have disdain for those from the middle down most of whom just want to go to work, settle down and be happy with their lot, but this is never gonna happen at this rate. We’re being taken for mugs.
They have sold us down the river and they couldn’t care less, the “I’m alright Jack” culture is thriving among the ‘elites’ as they see themselves.
Just wanted to congratulate Sean for the best description of politics I have ever heard. Michael Martin Leo and Eamonn Ryan are the worst and most self serving leaders this country has had in a long time. Why nobdody is calling for an investigation into the conduct of Eamonn Ryan, the appoitment of his personal advisors, his disgraceful conduct regarding Barryroe offshore energy and Landsdowne oil
and gas is beyond belief
Maybe if they were doing their jobs instead of screwing the people especially the tax payers they wouldn’t need to worry about people shouting abuse at them, shower of miserable cowards
coming
So the very people that told us that a cut in the number of Gardai wouldn’t have adverse affects now realise it has had an adverse affect..Boo Hoo and welcome to a very small corner of the real world that the rest of us have to live in with neither a Garda station, patrol,garda on the beat or basically any hope of assistance if needed.You reap what you sow guys.
Politicians fear legal protests at the Dail after not doing their job. No worry lads, you won’t be there for much longer.
What do they expect people have had enough of these
Ffg so used to there entitled existence that the thought that they be loosing it has them screaming blue murder
So the FF tyrants are crying over security.If they cared about the people who elected them they wouldn’t need more security.Self-serving,entitled pups.
Looking for more taxpayers money to have someone to look after them they a joke
Boost security along the canals
More Garda drivers on the way…
These privileged and compromised so called politicians have people hoping mad because they don’t serve the people. They serve their masters in Europe and the globalist elite ie vulture funds , big business. This seems to be a world wide problem and needs to be stoped before it gets much worse our freedom and our children’s future is at stake
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