Irish Examiner view: Vile abuse of female politicians warrants severe punishment

Targeting of TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill by successive aggressors highlights deplorable underbelly of Irish society and moves to provide her with protection are right and proper

The targeting of TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is not only frightening for her, but a warning sign to all female public representatives that there is a cabal of Irish manhood that finds this behaviour acceptable.

Everyone is entitled to feel safe and secure in their workplace and — if the occupation demands it — when engaging with the public at large. 

It seems that is not the situation with many of our public representatives, women in particular, and that is simply not good enough or in any way acceptable.

The vile, aggressive, and frightening targeting of Dún Laoghaire TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill by successive aggressors has highlighted a seedy and deplorable aspect of the underbelly of Irish society and moves to provide her with appropriate protection are only right and proper.

Having had to go through a trial where a man was given a suspended one-year jail sentence after being convicted of sending sexually explicit messages to the Fine Gael TD was bad enough for her, but to find — just weeks after that court case — that a second man was also intent on shattering her peace of mind by constantly badgering her must have been a dreadfully stressful experience.

For others to follow suit by writing foul and misogynistic letters to Ms Carroll MacNeill is not only truly frightening for her, but a warning sign to all female public representatives that there is a cabal of Irish manhood who somehow finds this sort of behaviour acceptable.

That prompt Garda action has seen one man convicted is welcome, as is the fact that gardaí are carrying out a security review in relation to the junior minister. But that other men have found it necessary to heap terror on the TD is truly a stain on the national character. 

It is also a stain on those social media companies which allow such behaviour to be carried out.

The suggestion that the Government fund extra security measures for politicians is a necessary one, but the suggestion yesterday from the ceann comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, that there had not been a “rapid response” from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to requests for funding added security for TDs and senators is a little worrying.

As we have seen in America, high-profile female politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omer, and others have had to endure personal attacks from other politicians — including from then president Donald Trump — in several widely-decried and highly-publicised incidents, as well as regular online sexual threats.

More than anything else, these instances and those we have seen in many other countries only served to illustrate how low political discourse has fallen, but highlighted the threat female politicians face on a daily basis. This has, indeed, become a global issue.

In an Irish context, it is important that an immediate and stark message is sent out that behaviour of this nature will only meet with severe punishment.