Paul Hosford: We should not shy away from speaking out when the line is crossed

Politicians know if they were to bow to the pressure of the worst impulses of the worst people, they would create an Ireland whereby the ballot box matters less than the furthest a person is willing to go

Tánaiste and Fine Gael party leader Simon Harris said protecting his family would be his number one priority, adding that he would be 'guided by them on the next steps'. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

With just a month to go to Budget 2026 and a presidential election bubbling to a decent temperature, a party think-in with a group that has been in government for 14 years should have plenty of fodder for dissection.

However, as the Fine Gael party got together in Westmeath on Monday, the first and last questions to Tánaiste Simon Harris were about the same thing: A week which had seen a number of threats made against himself and his family.