Protesting outside of homes to be banned
Politicians’ security to be reviewed after MP killing
SECURITY arrangements for politicians are set to be reviewed and legislation is being brought forward that would make it an offence to engage in protesting outside private residences.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said yesterday that security arrangements for politicians needed to be examined in light of increasing domestic hostility towards politicians and also following the murder of British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death shortly after meeting with constituents at a regular clinic in his constituency.
On Wednesday, protesters gathered outside the home of Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, who was in Brussels at the time, and his partner Matt Barrett for the third time in recent weeks.
Mr Varadkar was reluctant to speak about the protest outside his home during a media appearance in Limerick yesterday.
The Fine Gael leader refused to answer a question on whether or not he had ever ‘faced a credible threat’, saying that he was not allowed to discuss security.
He told reporters that he has always had ‘a lot of confidence in the gardaí and the Special Protection Unit’.
‘I very much trust in them to make the right decisions and to provide whatever level of security that they think is appropriate,’ he added.
Speaking in Brussels yesterday, Mr Martin revealed that he had previously been ‘encircled’ and ‘roared at’ in the streets when he was a government minister.
However, the Taoiseach said that despite harassment, he has always made a point not to shy away from walking in public.
‘I always make a point of walking my streets. There were times in my political life… people who would have encircled me and would have roared and screamed at me and shouting and roaring and so on and phones up to your face and all the rest of it – I would keep going,’ he said.
Mr Martin said that protesters have previously gathered outside his family home and that he didn’t think it was acceptable.
He said it was ‘absolutely essential’ that politicians be able to walk the streets without feeling threatened.
He said: ‘No one wants an intrusive or over-the-top sort of security presence around politicians. It’s part of our ecosystem in politics to have clinics, to have that interaction with people on the ground.’
The Taoiseach added: ‘It’s a very positive feature of Irish politics and we have to protect that.’ Mr Martin said it was crucial that the local engagement in Irish politics be maintained, and warned that there is a concerted effort to ‘disrupt’ it. The Taoiseach added that gardaí keep a ‘sharp eye’ on extremist groups that have formed and have been targeting politicians. The Tánaiste said that while he agrees with the Taoiseach’s comments in Brussels, a ‘balance needs to be found’. Mr Varadkar said: ‘We want public reps to be safe but we also don’t want to be in a security bubble either, where we’re cut off from our constituents and from people.’ It comes as Fianna Fáil senator Malcolm Byrne revealed that he is working on a new piece of legislation that would make it an offence to engage in targeted protests outside a person’s private residence. It would apply to both the organisers and attendees. Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, the Wexford senator said that while people have a right to protest, these events should be carried out at Government Buildings, Leinster House or other official offices. He explained: ‘The key within the legislation is defining what is a targeted protest. It’s clearly identified at an individual, living at a particular property and where that property is known to be the individual’s private residence. We’ve seen it outside the Tánaiste’s house. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has had protests outside his private home. There have been other politicians who have experienced this.’
He added: A private home is definitely out of bounds.
‘We’re incredibly lucky in Ireland that we can still walk up to our elected representatives on the streets and talk about issues and engage with politicians, whether it is to ask questions or give out about stuff.’
Senator Byrne said that members of the Oireachtas were deeply affected by the murder of Mr Amess at his constituency clinic in Essex last week.
He said that as TDs and senators made their way back from a memorial Mass for the Conservative MP at St Teresa’s Church on Dublin’s Clarendon Street on
‘I make a point of walking my streets’
‘I’ve always been accessible’
Thursday, an anti-vaccine protest was taking place outside Leinster House.
‘I’ve always been very lucky and very accessible and people have been able to meet me,’ he said.
‘Walking back from that service [for Mr Amess] toward Leinster House, there was a quite angry and vociferous protest at the gates.
‘Unfortunately, some of these protesters don’t seem to understand that with the right to protest comes responsibility.’