GAFF GRIEF
Simon Harris ‘frustrated’ by protests at politicians’ homes as garda reps call for ‘leadership’ for frontline officers
Taoiseach Simon Harris said he is "concerned and frustrated"
THE Garda Representatives Association has welcomed the Taoiseach's decision to address the issue of protests outside the homes of politicians.
Speaking at the GRA's annual conference in Mayo, James Morrison - the body's interim Deputy General Secretary - told how frontline officers "need leadership" from Garda management on the issue.
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The senior GRA delegate made the claim after Taoiseach Simon Harris vowed to establish if existing laws were "robust enough" to deal with protests and also if Gardai "were empowered enough" to support them.
The Fine Gael leader also told how he had been "concerned and frustrated" at the growing number of protests outside the homes of politicians.
He also told how he hopes to have answers to his questions this week.
His comments come after a number of people wearing masks staged a protest outside the home of Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman last week.
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Following the protest, the Taoiseach has vowed to address the issue with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
The Taoiseach's commitment to address the issue of legislation around the policing of protests has been welcomed by the GRA.
The GRA's interim Deputy General Secretary said: "If the legislation needs to be more robust this is something that we are in favour of.
"We can't be policing with one hand tied behind our back and this is a whole new area for our members.
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"It's clear that we need leadership from the highest levels of the Garda organisation on this issue.
"We can't just have fleeting reference to complex legislation - this isn't good enough."
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Gardai showed up the protest outside Minister O'Gorman’s home with the group moving on a short while later. No one was arrested over the incident.
The protestors hid their faces with coverings and stuck up banners on the gates and walls of the Minister’s home which read “Minister O’Gorman hates children” and “close the borders.”
This is not the first time that people have protested outside a politician’s home in recent years with Simon Harris, Paul Murphy, Mary Lou McDonald, Leo Varadkar, Eamon Ryan and others previously targeted at home.
Speaking on RTE, the Taoiseach said he was “frustrated” that this continued to happen and he wants to know whether new legislation is needed to clamp down on this or if gardai have the powers but aren’t enforcing them.
'Very concnered'
He said: “I am very concerned. I’m really concerned and what I want clarity on this week is a simple question: is this a matter of enforcement or a matter of law?
“In other words, are there laws that we have robust enough and therefor they just need to be enforced or do we need new law? And I really want that question answered.”
The Fine Gael leader added: “I am a little bit frustrated to put it mildly.
"I’m a little frustrated that this has been going on far too long.
'There is a worsening'
“It’s been a long time since 2017 when people were outside my home. This has gone on a very long time now and I worry that there is a worsening of what we’re actually seeing.”
He said that he will seek answers on whether tougher laws are needed to deal with these protests outside people’s homes.
If new laws aren’t needed, the Taoiseach said he wants an assurance that the existing laws in this area will be enforced by An Garda Siochana.
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