Protests outside Taoiseach Simon Harris’s house have drawn criticism for being a “form of thuggery, intimidation and harassment,” reports The Mirror.
Protests outside Mr. Harris’s Greystones, Wicklow, house disturbed him earlier this year.
Even if these types of events are lawful, participants run the risk of breaking the law if they show up often or behave in a way that deviates from accepted protest norms.
As the first guest on the second season of The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy, which can be listened to starting on Tuesday, October 1, Mr. Harris took aim at the protesters.
He told Ryan: “I kind of bristle at the word protest or protester because I think it does a disservice to the language… I think it’s a form of thuggery. I think it’s a form of intimidation. I think it’s a form of harassment. I think it’s done to unsettle and unnerve people, and I think it’s done by people to let you know that they know where you live…,” reports The Mirror.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
When questioned, however, on the potential usage of an official house for the An Taoiseach, Mr. Harris responded, “This has been suggested to me on occasion. My kids are young enough that one of them recently began at the neighbourhood school, so it presents a difficulty. I’m not planning to do it, but I can see it happening in the future when it comes to [the office holder using an official house]. I’m not sure where it will lead us.
The remarks were delivered during a comprehensive interview for Ryan Tubridy’s podcast, The Bookshelf.
He also talked about how much he loved reading and literature. He stated, “I devoured books as a boy,” reports The Mirror.
An enthusiastic user of the Greystones library, the Taoiseach talked of racing through books with a childhood buddy and taking part in the MS Readathon, which included getting sponsored to read books in order to raise money for MS Ireland.
He also talked about the three important books that have shaped his life and the unique present that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine gave him.
Ryan said: “For a book lover like me, it is an absolute pleasure to launch the new season of The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy. The response to Season One was wonderful and we have lined up a fantastic selection of guests to talk to us over the coming months. I am particularly delighted to launch this new season with An Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in an interview that covers his love of books and much, much more,” reports The Mirror.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
