Taoiseach ‘will not alter behaviour’ following attacks on politicians

The Taoiseach has said he will not “allow” attacks on politicians to influence his behaviour, one day after an assassination attempt on his Slovakian counterpart.

Simon Harris made the comments after expressing “solidarity, thoughts, prayers and best wishes” to Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico and his family.

Mr Fico is described as being in a serious but stable condition after he was shot multiple times on Wednesday.

Reacting to the news on Thursday, Mr Harris said the shooting was a “shocking, vile and horrific” attack on the Slovakian prime minister.

The Fine Gael leader, who met Mr Fico in Brussels in the last few weeks, added: “But it was also an attack on democracy and the fundamental values that we share across the European Union.”

More generally, Mr Harris said he was “concerned” about attacks on politicians in Ireland.

Referencing recent alleged assaults against Dublin councillors on the campaign trail, the Taoiseach added: “These attacks are despicable attacks on individuals but they’re also attacks on democracy.

“Because we live in one of the world’s longest-serving, most successful democracies and everybody has a right to put their name forward.

“And nobody has to do anything that should be chilling in relation to people’s participation in democracy.”

Asked by reporters if he had any concerns for his own safety, he replied: “I believe passionately in democracy. I have so much respect for anybody who puts their name on a ballot paper even if I fundamentally disagree with them or they fundamentally disagree with me – that’s the beauty of democracy.

“And I will always defend to the nth degree everybody’s participation in the democratic processes.

“We can’t allow this element of toxicity win, though, in Irish politics.

“We can’t allow it to have that chilling effect where good people, young people, new people – whatever their political persuasion – are in any way put off participation in politics.

He added: “Look, I have huge confidence in the gardai, a huge gratitude for the work of the gardai and certainly I wouldn’t, allow it in any way alter my behaviour as a politician.

“Though, of course, I’m aware of the realities that we all face.”

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said that he has had “various threats” over the years and would advise public representatives to contact gardai to assess any abuse directed towards them.

He said that the type of attack on politicians that gardai fear the most is a “lone wolf situation”.

“Around 2011-12, we had many people on the far left doing a lot of activity and sort of following us around with phones and videos and all the rest of it,” he told reporters in Dublin.

“That’s happening from far right elements. The only difference I see is the aggression and the hostility and incredible bad language and the threatening and intimidating nature, but it’s a minority.

“Gardai will tell you mostly that their fear, really, in terms of attacks on politicians, are the kind of horrible attack yesterday on the prime minister of Slovakia, is perhaps a lone-wolf situation, and the circumstances could be anything. That’s something that can happen in all walks of life, at any time.”

He said that an incident involving the canvassing team of a Fianna Fail candidate in Limerick was “shocking”.

“The anger in that, the hostility, the hate in that is clear to be seen,” the Fianna Fail leader said. “She has seen the video, she’s very upset by what she has seen – the language was quite horrific.”

He added that he is worried about other such incidents happening to candidates while they are canvassing.

“I would be concerned where we have candidates of different nationalities,” he said, at the Fianna Fail party’s launch of its local election campaign.

“I think it’s really important in a democracy that people who come to make their life in Ireland, people who are living here, even born and reared, (can run for election).

“But some of these people think, because of the colour of their skin or whatever, feel (they can be) still be subjected to attack and should be attacked – it is just so off the wall, but dangerously off the wall, that one would have to worry, one would have to be concerned about it.

“We have quite a number of nationalities running, which we’re delighted with, and I think that’s about democracy. That’s about participation. It’s about integration, and that’s important.”