Do we protect Irish politicians enough?
Following the horrific murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox, is it now time to start treating threats to Irish TDs and senators more seriously?
It’s reported that British politician received threatening messages prior to her death and police were considering increasing her security.
Over 80% of Irish politicians have received abuse on social media with some receiving death threats.
We’re joined by three current and former politicians, who have received death threats in the past and threatening letters on social media and delivered to their homes.
Lorraine Higgins, a former Labour Senator, has proposed legislation to tackle online abuse and barrister
- She as received numerous threats to her safety that led her contacting Gardai
- One threat she received suggested she may have been followed to her constituency or was being watched – Letter contained information about her going to a constituency at unusual time.
- "That was scary as I often go to the constituency on my own. Do I really need to look at my pages first thing in the morning to see someone has written: 'I’ll murder you with a hatchet in the face. Slow blood [sic] down.'". Other threats include: “You might as well f*** off now while you are still breathing. Nothing better than to fill a rat’s mouth with lead.”
- The threats started in 2014 during her European election campaign, and has continued since then.
- "I am not just talking about people sending offensive or below- the-belt posts or tweets. I am referring to direct threats and abuse – attacks, as far as I am concerned".
- She reported the threats to Gardai after she was told her head would be ripped off her shoulders and “shoved where the sun doesn’t shine.”
- "It’s unquestionably harassment: it’s designed to strike fear in you, to intimidate you, to belittle you. There was a high level of violence threatened against me and my family so I felt contacting the Gardai was the correct response".
- She’s glad to be out of politics now and away from that world were abuse is considered a part of the job
- Proposed a bill to make cyberbullying a criminal offence - Harmful and Malicious Electronic Communications Bill 2015
Frank Feighnan former Fine Gael TD for Roscommon and South Leitrim and now Senator
- He has received deaths threats, and was even attacked in a local pub. He received the hand-written letter to his constituency office in Boyle, Co Roscommon. “I know the time you leave the house and I see you coming home. You will get a bullet before long, you gay bastard. RIP".
- He was attacked in a local pub – A man stood up and called him out on the mic before attempting to get to him. "He nearly killed me"
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy Minister of State for Health Promotion and TD for Offaly
- "I, personally speaking, find dealing with social media very, very challenging. The level of negativity and vilification and viciousness that is tossed at public representatives as if we are figures of stone, as if we do not feel the same as everybody else, as if we don't have a family the same as everybody else.
- Her life was actually threatened on social media, and although she did not believe the man who issued the threat had any intention of carrying out, "at the same time it was not very nice to think there was a man somewhere in the county who felt that the world would be a better place without me in it
