The Minister for Public Expenditure has said that consideration should be given to creating a “sterile zone” outside Leinster House following protests in the area earlier this week, reports RTE.
Following the incident on Wednesday afternoon, the MP and staff were unable to leave the premises of the National Parliament for several hours.
Paschal Donohoe said that ease of communication between the people and their representatives is a true feature of our democracy, but such a system should be considered.
He added that the Government must consider what other steps can be taken to help Gardaí and enable the Dáil and Seanad to do their work.
Donohoe said life was now more dangerous for politicians and their staff and extreme behaviour by a small number of people had increased, adding that the tone around politicians on social media had changed.
“The placement of a gallows outside Leinster House, that kind of imagery and that kind of behaviour is an affront to representative democracy and how the servants of the people try to do their work,” he added, reports RTE.
The Dublin TD said he was “not surprised” by the scene outside Leinster House.
Green Party TD for Dublin Central Nessa Hourigan said the groups involved in the external incidents were “very organised”.
She said: “I think it was very telling that most people when asked, couldn’t actually articulate what it was they wanted. That’s not a protest. They’re not highlighting an issue. What they’re doing is agitating and they’re trying to escalate situations until they get a reaction,” reports RTE.
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