Stop publishing election candidates' home addresses, urges TD

Green Party TD Patrick Costello says more needs to be done to protect politicians from potential attacks. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Councillors and candidates for election should not have to publish their home addresses, a TD has said.

Green Party TD Patrick Costello has written to local government minister Kieran O'Donnell and the Electoral Commission saying that the practice needs to end before next year's local elections due to the dangers it poses to people running for office.

Mr Costello's letter calls for action in light of a number of incidents where homes of politicians were targeted, including an incident in Ballybrack in Dublin where a window in the family home of councillor Hugh Lewis was smashed by anti-migrant protesters.

"In today's digital age, where personal information can easily be accessed and exploited, the presence of home addresses on ballot papers poses significant safety risk," wrote Mr Costello. 

"This is especially true in light of the rise in activity of individuals on the far-right. Such individuals seek to portray elected leaders as ‘sellouts’ and ‘traitors’, which is designed to intimidate and spark violence."

Mr Costello told the Irish Examiner that more needs to be done to protect politicians.

"We have seen politicians' homes attacked and politicians being physically attacked. It has emerged that members of the Housing Commission have also been threatened. There are clearly organised groups threatening our democracy and we have to protect our society.

Given that personal information is being weaponised by groups who want to undermine democracy and used to further violence we need to ask are we doing enough to protect people in politics.

"Requiring a home address to be published on a ballot paper is unnecessarily inviting trouble. It's not just politicians — journalists, librarians, teachers have all been recently targeted with intimidation and violence. 

"We need to push back against those who want to undermine political and democratic rights in Ireland today."

Mr Costello's letter comes as Fine Gael senator Mary Seery Kearney called for the €5,000 allowance for Oireachtas members to use on personal security to be extended to councillors.

“It is very disturbing for any public representative to be threatened in such a way. For TDs and senators, the announcement of a security fund is at least some small comfort in assisting them to upgrade their own security but this allowance is not yet available for councillors," she said.

However, Green Party councillor Hazel Chu, who has been a frequent target for far-right and right-wing protesters, said that unless the root causes of the dangers are addressed, the funding would be somewhat pointless.

"We've been saying this for a long time, that councillors need more protection, especially in light of everything that's happened in recent weeks," said Ms Chu.

"The question is what would you do? Without the legislation and Garda backup, there's only so much you could do.

"I appreciate all of the support from other politicians, but I just don't know if anything will work without properly resourcing and tackling the issue at source."