TDs and ministers targeted for intimidation after far-right agitators leak home addresses

Garda chief Drew Harris has told Justice Minister Helen McEntee that the threat of an attack by a far-right extremist is now considered substantial

Far-right agitators have been sharing the private addresses of politicians and other public figures on widely-used apps and platforms. 

Home addresses of TDs and ministers are deliberately being published by agitators on frequently-used websites so they can be targeted for protest and intimidation.

The practice has been ongoing for some time and, after they are published, the politicians are often subsequently targeted.

In total, the home or street addresses of nearly 20 TDs can be found with simple searches, while many constituency offices which have not been advertised publicly are also included.

Requests for addresses of politicians and other public figures have been a recurring theme on far-right social media for a number of years.

TDs say they have raised this issue in the past, but have not seen any action. Earlier this summer, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell said he had raised it with gardaí two years ago.

The threat of an attack by a far-right extremist is now considered substantial by gardaí, something Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told Justice Minister Helen McEntee in a confidential letter in recent days.

Gardaí pointed out that the overall threat level is still considered moderate — this means that a terrorist attack is possible but not likely. It is understood that Mr Harris’s notification to Ms McEntee related purely to far-right extremism and does not relate to either Islamic extremism or dissident republicanism.

“Any change to the threat level from a specific sub-category and/or group is communicated by the commissioner directly to the Minister for Justice,” said a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána.

The Department of Justice, meanwhile, said the threat from violent political extremism “is of concern and continues to evolve”.

The department added: “All the relevant agencies, including An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces where needed, co-operate closely in respect of any threats identified that may have adverse implications for the security of the State, and work closely with their international counterparts in identifying and managing threats.

“The overall security threat remains unchanged at moderate.”

The change in threat level for far-right extremism from gardaí comes as online threats against members of the Government continued in recent weeks, despite the charging of a man last week accused of targeting Taoiseach Simon Harris.

In one far-right online chat in recent days, Mr Harris was dubbed a “target for execution”, with another user saying that Mr Harris faced execution at the hands of the military.

Government and garda sources have said the targeting of the Taoiseach has become more specific in recent months amid a wave of far-right protest at his home and attacks on facilities earmarked for refugees.

Sources said that a “lone wolf” style attack remains a concern, but there is growing scrutiny on the far-right networks which have been able to mobilise protestors in recent months. That has prompted gardaí to write to Ms McEntee to warn that an attack is now more likely.

Speaking in Carlow on Sunday, Mr Harris said he does not believe Ireland needed new laws.

“Ireland is not immune from the threats we see in other countries, we should never think that we are,” he said. “We’re not immune from the threat of terrorism — domestic or international. But I am confident that the gardaí take these matters very seriously.”

Asked if he is willing to introduce tougher legislation on threats against public figures, Mr Harris said: “I am confident that when we look at the laws of the land, that our laws are robust.”

The Taoiseach said gardaí will be supported with any resources they need to enforce those laws.

Mark Malone of the Hope and Courage Collective, which monitors far-right extremism, said the increased threat is not surprising.

“We have been saying for a long time that the rise in rhetoric plays out in increased violence,” he said.

“Part of this is a lack of regulation for social media companies that host this stuff. The increase in threat is often visible online.”