Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy that he is entirely correct and the security assessment entirely tallies with his view that it is a statement of fact that there are a number of small, right-wing, far-right actors who move from community to community to stoke fear and division and, on occasion, engage in criminal activity. We should not overstate the number, nor should we tolerate their actions. There is a line between protest and the other side of that line, and they are often on the wrong side of that line. There are a number of active Garda investigations under way, which I will not comment on for obvious reasons, but I will take the opportunity to set out the laws that exist in this area. There are clear laws and clear offences if one crosses the line. Under the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, it is an offence to make someone believe he or she is likely to be assaulted. It also is an offence to threaten someone with serious harm and beset someone in a way that interferes with that person's peace and privacy or causes him or her alarm or distress. Under our public order legislation, offensive behaviour is criminalised in a public place, as is engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place. It is also an offence to distribute or display in a public place, any material which is threatening, abusive, insulting or obscene and it is an offence to fail to comply with the direction of a member of An Garda Síochána. The laws are clear and will be enforced.

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