The Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris has warned that a politician will be “seriously hurt” in the wake of threats against him and his family.
A series of bomb threats against the Harris family home were phoned to police stations in Wexford and Wicklow yesterday.
It’s the third time in a week that the Harris family have been threatened in what the deputy prime minister, or Tanaiste, claims is a “sinister” campaign to “intimidate” him out of public office.
“Imagine how anybody would feel if in the last week somebody threatened to kidnap a child, carry out extreme violence against a close family relative and blow up your house”, Harris said to reporters today.
“That’s all happened in the last seven days, to me this time, to who else next time. I’m not willing to gloss over that fact.
“This is not something that deserves to go up and down the news agenda. Somebody will get seriously hurt in this country. We’ve to start taking security in this country seriously.”
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He said that the Special Detective Unit of the Irish police force, known as the Gardai, is investigating the threats.
Last week, a woman in her 30s was arrested in connection with threats to Mr Harris on social media, but was released without charge.
A file will be sent to Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions.
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Harris was speaking at a Fine Gael think-in event in Mullingar, County Westmeath, and was keen to emphasise that it was business as usual.
“Leadership’s about showing up. I had to dig pretty deep to show up today, but I’m here and I’m getting on with the job,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to the UK foreign secretary this morning, and I’m here with the Fine Gael parliamentary party. But this is a serious moment that bears reflection.
“I see a pattern of abusive, disgusting, toxic behaviour that is trying to intimidate me out of public office. We cannot tolerate or gloss over these issues.”
Harris said he would talk to his family and be guided by them as to his next steps.
