Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure, has disclosed that he has received threats at times throughout his public career. His comments coincided with the release of a new survey of Oireachtas members and political staff that revealed the vast majority reported being subjected to various types of mistreatment. A staggering 94% of politicians and 72% of political staff partaking in the survey reported experiences of threats, harassment, abuse, or violence.
Donohoe commented on this worrying trend, emphasising that it occurred only infrequently, but that it was an issue of considerable severity. According to him, such threats and abuse towards politicians were the actions of a small minority of the population. Despite an unfortunate increase in the intensity of these negative interactions, Donohoe stated the public’s understanding and respect for politicians’ roles remain constant.
He admitted that while he’s not universally popular, it is critical not to let the actions of a few shape our perceptions of the political landscape.
This week at Leinster House, a UCD report detailing the harassment and abuse of TDs, Senators, and their staff will be released. Additionally, a separate report from the Taskforce on Safe Participation in Political Life, led by former Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan, will be made public.
Out of all Oireachtas members, 61, or 28%, participated in the survey, as did 200 out of 580 political staff. The report showed that the most common types of abuse towards Oireachtas members included offensive language (52%), discriminatory slurs (38%), criticisms about appearance (35%), and the spreading of false information (34%).
In the aftermath of abuse incidents, 89 per cent of TDs and Senators who responded as well as 75 per cent of political personnel reported experiencing fear or anxiety. Mr Donohoe expressed that there is a small faction of the population who are exhibiting higher levels of agitation than before, believing they have the right to utter and act in ways previously unacceptable. This issue, he suggested, has been exacerbated by the global pandemic.
The pandemic, and the past two years in general, have left an indelible mark on our society, augmenting the anger and discontent felt by a handful of individuals, a frustration Mr. Donohoe has had to grapple with. However, he emphasised that such sentiments come from a minority and the vast majority engage with politicians in a respectful, appropriate manner. If this fact is not continuously recognised, the pool of potential politicians could dwindle, leaving all of society worse off.
Mr. Donohoe insisted that while it’s necessary to shield politicians and our political system from these minority risks, it’s equally important to maintain transparency and engagement with the electorate, which he deems a significant element of Irish politics.
The report revealed that nearly half of the politicians, at 49 per cent, have bolstered security measures at their residences, while 28 per cent of political staff have requested increased security at constituency offices. Among the salient issues linked to the reported abuse, parliamentary members pointed to immigration (67 per cent); Women’s Rights (47 per cent); housing/homelessness (40 per cent); and LGBTQ+ issues (40 per cent).
There’s also a compelling statistical correlation between gender and the type of abuse endured. Specifically, women in the Oireachtas are more prone to encounter digital harassment, prejudiced slurs, threats of sexual violence and harassment, unsolicited sexual advances and explicit messages, as well as comments about their appearance.
It was recommended in the report that a more focused approach needs to be adopted to safeguard politicians from abuse propagated via social media.
In response to reports about the magnitude of abuse dealt to politicians, especially women, in their line of duty, Ms O’Sullivan was designated last summer to head up the cross-party taskforce dedicated to the wellbeing of politicians in Ireland.