Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Senator McDowell has spoken very eloquently on the thrust of the Bill and I commend Senator Byrne for bringing this forward. I also have sympathy and agree with the intention and thrust of the Bill. All persons should be able to live in their homes at peace and without fear of abuse, attack and harassment. Some people have spoken about us as politicians, as if we are some sort of precious beings within these Houses. However, we have county councillors throughout this country who are also having their homes attacked. I am thinking of Councillor Vincent Jackson in Dublin where protesters turned up at his house a couple of weeks ago. He was not at home at the time, and he is a foster parent on top of being a parent himself. One can imagine the vulnerability of those children within those four walls on that particular night. People have to think about the consequences when they turn up. They do not know whether that politician could be looking after an elderly parent, or a child with disabilities, so people need to think carefully when they turn up to a person's home.

We also have Councillor Eugene McGuinness in Kilkenny. He had his car attacked and his windows broken last week. These are very serious incidents where people think they can turn up to politicians' homes and cause damage. I believe there is CCTV footage of the second incident and I hope gardaí apprehend and charge those individuals who committed that crime.

This Bill does not do what it intends to do. Section 2, which outlines the offences, prohibits targeted protests within 200 m of any residential dwelling, rather than a dwelling that houses, is believed to house, or is owned by the target of the protest. Of course, this is nonsense and would likely prohibit protests outside Leinster House or Department buildings, or maybe protests would have to held some place in a field in Kildare or Leitrim. The figure of 200 m is way too high.