Politicians have described fresh security advice as “ridiculous” and “worrying” after they were told to wear comfortable shoes and use their senses when dealing with constituents.
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said that while he has received abuse online which has not bothered him, it “definitely isn’t the same experience for everyone and I can entirely understand why others, particularly women TDs who get it worse than me, would be frightened”.
“The advice about comfortable shoes is a bit much. Gardaí just need to be ensuring elected representatives can do our job safely. It’s a fundamental part of democracy.”
One female politician, speaking privately about her concerns, said of the advice: “it’s ridiculous. There’s no urgency with them or no idea of how threatened we feel. We cannot do our jobs ie be available to the public, attend public meetings, hold clinics, without proper measures in place.”
Another TD privately labelled the advice as “nonsense”.
It comes after TDs were advised by gardaí to be “streetwise” to ensure their personal safety, including wearing “comfortable shoes” so that they can “move quickly” if they need to.
A crime-prevention information sheet was circulated to TDs on Monday evening by the clerk of the Dáil. It included advice to avoid holding constituency clinics in buildings that are otherwise empty.
Fine Gael senator Regina Doherty said that most of the advice is already in place. She said she stopped doing clinics alone a year ago, and does not sit in her office alone any more.
She said she rarely conducts house visits and now tries to meet people in local coffee shops, and with somebody if possible, “but it has changed the way we do business”.
She said that while most of advice seemed practice the advice to wear comfortable shoes “worried me a bit.” She questioned what level of concern the gardaí currently had.
Fianna Fáil senator Lisa Chambers said the measures being suggested are “already being implemented by most members”.
“We are more safety-conscious than we were even five years ago. It’s a topic of conversation at work, the need to protect yourself and be careful. I don’t think we’ll see any meaningful change in terms of security unless something more serious happens.”
The advice was circulated again on Monday after bags of manure were thrown at Minister of State Anne Rabbitte and Fine Gael TD Ciarán Cannon at a public meeting in Co Galway last week.
Ms Rabbitte and Mr Cannon, both TDs for Galway East, were attending a local community meeting to discuss the decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant permission for an industrial biogas facility at the edge of Gort town when the incident occurred.
The note also gave tips for politicians who are canvassing or conducting house visits. It told politicians to “stand back and to the side”.
“When the resident answers the door, before going straight in, engage them in a doorstep conversation,” it said.
“Use your sense: smell, sight, hearing, gut-feel – and if anything feels ‘off’ make an excuse for not going in.”
Fine Gael TD Richard Bruton welcomed the advice and said it was “very practical”.
He said he knocks on doors twice a week and “we can’t give up that”, adding: “In reality we have all experienced some discomfort in doing our job, but by and large it is very uncommon.”
