Irish Examiner view: Dangerous trend poses a real risk

Security for politicians

The specifics of An Garda Síochána advice to members of the Oireachtas make for sobering reading. Picture: Collins

The news that members of the Oireachtas have been given security advice to keep them safe should give all pause, as it underlines a dangerous trend in Irish society.

The specifics of the advice from An Garda Síochána make for sobering reading. Politicians are warned to avoid leaving or returning home at exactly the same times, avoiding walking the same routes, parking in the same spots; they are also advised to avoid empty carriages while using public transport and to wear comfortable shoes in order to be able to move quickly.

The latter element of the advice is particularly concerning. 

Politicians are being told to plan their escape from practically every public setting they find themselves in, and to dress for a swift getaway. 

There is an implicit admission in such advice not just that politicians are at risk in public spaces, but that the onus is on them to take steps to safeguard themselves and to plan for contingencies which may occur.

These steps are being taken in the wake of specific incidents — the flinging of excrement at TDs Anne Rabbitte and Ciaran Cannon last week in Galway, as well as details of another case of harassment of TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill emerging just two months after a man was convicted of harassing her.

The sense that female politicians seem to be particular targets is strengthened by the Garda advice to wear comfortable shoes in order to be able to get away quickly: Male politicians’ choice of footwear is hardly the target here.

This development also should be considered alongside the perennial calls for able people from varied backgrounds to get involved in politics.

We need more people willing to speak up for democracy and to represent the constituencies in which they live and work. Would anyone in their right mind take up a job, though, which required shoes that facilitated a quick getaway from ugly confrontations?