Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle) | Oireachtas source

Before going to the SOS, I want to make a brief comment about yesterday. It is a matter that has been discussed this morning at the Business Committee. The Service has had early-morning discussions, with our new Superintendent and with An Garda Síochána, about the events that took place outside the House yesterday. Events outside the House do not fall within our direct responsibility and it is a matter for the management of An Garda Síochána. However, what happened yesterday was without precedent. It was a fundamental attack on democracy. The people out there appear to me have had nothing to offer, only the promotion of hate. We talk about attacks on politicians but 1,200 people work here and 220 of us are politicians. The people who suffered abuse yesterday came from all walks of life: civil servants, political staff, political advisers, journalists, and the whole spectrum. What happened was particularly vile and vicious. The people who were involved in that offer nothing of any benefit to any cause they might espouse, however worthwhile or questionable, and the cause they serve is more likely to be questionable.

The Service has already engaged this morning with An Garda Síochána and I am meeting the assistant commissioner this afternoon. In May of last year the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and I, having consulted many Members, predominantly female Members, established a task force under the superb chairmanship of the former Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O'Sullivan, to look at safe participation in public life. It has been meeting assiduously since last May and it is meeting today. It will come up with a set of - I hope - implementable proposals by the end of December. We can never see again happen what happened outside yesterday because it is an attack on democracy and if unchallenged and allowed to proceed it will bring us to a point that we saw in the United States in the aftermath of the last presidential election. It cannot be allowed to continue.

I also want to advise the House also that, conscious of what has been happening and of the pressure that Members have been under, Members know that we have introduced the security allowance to help Members in their constituency and to help them provide for the safety of their staff. There has been little uptake on that, incidentally. Also, in the immediate aftermath of the recess I had a lengthy meeting the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, to draw his attention to the pressure that Members are under and to the concern that Members have for their staff and families, none of whom has signed up to take the abuse they are getting.

I believe the Minister wants to make a comment.

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