Ciara Phelan: Hatred that spilled over outside the Dáil has been brewing for some time

A national conversation is needed about how to push back on this group to show we’re serious that hate won’t be tolerated

Members of the public protest outside Leinster House on Wednesday. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

The aftermath of the protests was like a bad hangover. Walking around Leinster House less than 24 hours after it had been on lockdown, politicians, staff, and journalists asked one another how they had felt about the night before.

Disgusted, scared, shocked, sad, and annoyed were some of the words used to describe their response to the actions of a small minority, which had left hard-working people in despair.

Debate also ensued as to how ordinary protests, a familiar sight each week outside the Dáil, had escalated into what we witnessed in Dublin on Wednesday, with vulgar abuse fired at politicians, or indeed anyone with a lanyard around their neck.

But for anyone paying attention, the hatred and lack of common ground seen outside the Dáil has been bubbling for some time. We’re all aware of this misinformation spread by these agitators during the covid-19 pandemic.

They’ve been outside politicians' homes, shouting abuse with no consideration for the children inside. They’ve been targeting libraries over the availability of LGBTQ+ reading materials for children. They are obsessed with the definition of 'what a man is' and 'what a woman is' and have set alight premises earmarked for people to seek shelter that have fled the horrors of war. 

Some people across the country may not have been aware of these incidents but their actions making the main news headlines will hopefully serve as a wake-up call to the country as a whole and the need for the matter to be taken seriously.

A large Garda presence during the protest outside Leinster House. Picture: Stephen Collins  

The focus has been on the impact of the protests on politicians and it is important to highlight the abuse they received, as well as being physically shoved and subject to bottles being flung at them. 

However, as the Ceann Comhairle has rightly pointed out, politicians make up just 220 of the 1,200 staff working at the Oireachtas. Innocent workers, from assistants on their first day to veterans of decades of public service, have been left shaken and frightened, including cleaning staff, legal advisers, administrative staff as well as journalists whose place of work is at Leinster House. Their safety was compromised.

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It wasn’t clear to anyone what exactly this group of people was protesting about. However, what was clear from the outset of the so-called 'protests' yesterday is that there was a very real threat of physical violence if gardaí were not present.

Even when being flanked by two gardaí, Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae was pushed and narrowly escaped a bottle to his head. It was nothing short of brazen thuggery.

That being said, not all politicians are entirely innocent and some have fanned the flames of conspiracy and hate, often coming close to crossing the line when discussing many of the issues mentioned above. Some TDs and senators have engaged in dog whistling to far-right groups and when challenged on their views or asked to explore their thought-process further, they cry out that they’re being attacked for their opinions and shout “freedom of speech”.

Perhaps being under siege at Leinster House on Wednesday and stuck in their cars waiting to leave work may result in some reflection that their actions and words have consequences. 

For many it was infuriating to see those very politicians scramble to denounce the actions of the far-right groups and protesters when they have been playing up to their rhetoric for political advantage. 

The focus has been on Dublin this week but agitators are travelling across the country to obstruct and cause havoc to the lives of ordinary working people. Picture: Larry Cummins

Rightly, Tánaiste Micheál Martin called for public representatives to avoid populism from within the walls of the Oireachtas.

But what next? It’s hard to know, beyond tightening security measures for those who work at the Oireachtas. The security review will only help those left open to further attack. There is a bigger issue at play here. 

The focus has been on Dublin this week but these agitators are travelling across the country to obstruct and cause havoc to the lives of ordinary working people.

A conversation is needed at national level about how to tackle and push back on this group to show we’re serious as a country that their hate won’t be tolerated.