Roderic O’Gorman 'still facing threats and social media abuse'

'I never got homophobic abuse until I was 39, a minister, and there’s a gang outside Leinster House with a noose," says Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman.

Roderic O’Gorman: 'There’s still a lot of abuse online. Anytime I regularly put up a post on anything, it could be the most innocuous thing, you get an avalanche of it on migration, on homophobic stuff.' Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has admitted he is still facing abuse a year after leaving government, including homophobic slurs at train stations.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, he also hit out at his former coalition colleagues and former housing minister Darragh O’Brien, claiming he “wanted nothing to do” with helping to house asylum seekers and refugees.

The Green Party barely survived a political wipeout in the 2024 general election, dropping from 12 TDs to just Mr O’Gorman.

A year after entering opposition, he said he is “enjoying being a backbencher” and the freedom it gives him to introduce bills, be in his constituency, and press ministers on different issues, including the Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up programme.

He has, however, lost his ministerial perks, including his garda driver and protection, and is now “back on the bus and the train”.

He also conceded he is still facing threats and social media abuse.

“The first six months, I got mid-level hassle every now and again,” Mr O’Gorman admitted.

“Someone called me ‘faggot’ in Connolly one day. It was on a Saturday, and I was out doing something social. That was a bit of a land.

“I always find it funny —the first time I got homophobic abuse was in my first week as minister. I never got homophobic abuse until I was 39, a minister, and there’s a gang outside Leinster House with a noose.

“There’s still a lot of abuse online. Anytime I regularly put up a post on anything, it could be the most innocuous thing, you get an avalanche of it on migration, on homophobic stuff.

“Some stuff critical of things I did in government, and you take that on the chin. But when people are calling you a ‘paedo’, it’s not nice.”

Last February, Karl Ronan, aged 45, of Erris Square, Waterville in Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr O’Gorman, threatening and abusive behaviour, and damaging his clipboard during a general election canvass.

Mr O’Gorman said that he believes the incident would have “gotten a lot more serious” if his garda protection officer had not intervened. However, he is now back canvassing in his constituency.

Criticism of current Government

He is critical of the new Government’s first year, saying it has been “one of the least productive Dáils in decades”.

“I think of Father Ted and Dougal, and the ‘careful now’ sign; I think that’s the symbol for this Government over the last 12 months,” he said.

Mr O’Gorman admitted that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil wanted the Greens out of Government and conceded that his party did not spend enough time talking about its achievements.

This includes steps taken to reduce childcare costs and the expansion of Local Link, something Mr O’Gorman described as former party leader Eamon Ryan’s “baby”.

While he believes in Cabinet confidentiality, he admitted that there was a “political cost” of not briefing against coalition colleagues, as people were not aware that the Greens were “fighting” with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil “every day”.

Roderic O’Gorman alongside then-housing minister Darragh O’Brien in 2022. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

However, he admitted that this meant he often had to “toe a line”. This included asylum and refugee housing issues.

“I should have been tougher with Government colleagues in terms of them pulling their weight,” Mr O’Gorman said.

“Ultimately, this is a housing issue.

“From day one, both the minister for housing [Darragh O’Brien] and the entire Department of Housing wanted nothing to do with this.

“That was a challenge for international protection. It was a big challenge when it came to accommodating Ukrainians as well."