McDonald warns against protests at politicians’ homes
Mary Lou McDonald was speaking during a visit to Cork, where several people linked to the Cork Campaign Against Household and Water Charges have said they plan to mount more protests outside the homes of local and national politicians over the coming months.
“I would have a reservation about campaigners, no matter how well-intentioned, no matter how angry they are, to be presenting themselves at the family home of a politician,” she said.
The threat to target politicians’ home came after the Irish Examiner highlighted comments made by FG councillor Joe O’Callaghan, who branded some local campaigners “blathering loudmouths” who need to “put up or shut up”.
His comments prompted a protest by one member of the campaign outside his family home in Blarney.
While the political leaders of the Cork campaign have distanced themselves from this action, several individual campaigners said it is a new tactic they plan to pursue.
One of the most outspoken campaigners, John O’Donovan from Togher, said politicians and their families are “legitimate targets”.
“These people have brought the war to every single home and family in this country. We’re bringing the war right back to them,” he said.
However, Ms McDonald urged campaigners to exercise caution and to rethink their strategy.
“I completely understand the absolute frustration of those campaigners because this [the property tax] is a deeply unfair tax that very many people cannot afford and yet will be forced to pay,” she said.
“I understand that there is a level of anger and disappointment and it is absolutely legitimate to argue the toss with your elected representatives. But you have to be very, very cautious about the family homes of politicians. It’s not as if they live there on their own. Very many of them have wives or husbands and children.
“I personally think that it is not wise to in any way cause a situation whereby the spouse, or particularly the children of an elected representative, would be put into the middle of something that really isn’t their argument.”
She urged those opposed to the tax to consider staging protests outside politicians’ clinics or offices.
