The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have strongly criticised those who issue threats online and social media platforms that facilitate hateful and threatening posts, with Micheál Martin singling out X owner Elon Musk.
After his wife and children were threatened by an Instagram user at the weekend, Simon Harris said lawlessness, including online, would not be tolerated in the Republic. The Taoiseach added that although he normally did not comment on his own security he wanted “to make a few comments on trends we have been seeing”.
“There can be no hiding place for anyone seeking to threaten, attack or harm people or to incite others to do so,” he said, adding the laws applied to people operating online “just as much” as anywhere else.
“I will never be deterred from doing my job as Taoiseach,” he said. “Politicians have become a regular target, and it is on the brink of being viewed as acceptable or a normal part of the job. It is not acceptable. I get up every day and go to work and work as hard as I can. So do most politicians I know from all parties and none. Constant efforts to target us, demean us or dehumanise us should never be accepted, never be normalised, and always called out.”
He said the Garda were working hard to combat hate, adding “the kindness and decency” he had been shown “means the world to me and my family”.
The threatening post made against him and his family appeared on Instagram over the weekend and was visible for at least two days before it was deleted. The owner of the account has since switched it to a private setting and, it appears, deleted all of their posts.
Garda Headquarters has confirmed it was aware of the post and an investigation was under way. The Irish Times understands the Garda became aware of the post very quickly, as did the Taoiseach’s office as Mr Harris was tagged in the message.
The Tánaiste meanwhile told Radio Kerry “mindless, ill-informed stuff” published on social media was directly linked to the “appalling” recent violence in Britain and the North. He said he believed X, formerly Twitter, and its owner, Mr Musk, posed specific challenges.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
