The disturbing online threats against the Tánaiste’s young children mark a new low point in Irish political life. They confirm that what was once an unpleasant background noise of abuse has hardened into something much more corrosive and dangerous. Threats of violence – particularly if aimed at families – are not overheated expressions of dissent. They are attempts to silence and intimidate that strike at the foundations of democracy.
Coimisiún na Meán, the media regulator established in 2023, has begun to document the scale of this problem. Its surveys show that close to a quarter of candidates in recent elections reported death threats or threats of serious harm, with many investing in home security or adjusting their daily routines. What the data reveals is not isolated misbehaviour but a systemic problem facilitated by the online environment. While gardaí pursue individual cases, the sheer volume of abuse requires a regulatory framework that obliges platforms to act far more decisively and swiftly than they do at present.
But responsibility cannot be outsourced entirely to the State or to Big Tech. Political culture itself matters. When activists, commentators and even elected politicians indulge in personalised invective that mocks or vilifies opponents, they legitimise a form of politics in which individuals, not arguments, are the target. The line between sharp criticism and incitement may be narrow but the consequences of crossing it are plain: a degraded discourse that emboldens those willing to make threats of violence.
None of this means criticism should be muted. Politicians are accountable and debate must be robust. But if the political sphere becomes one where families are endangered, women and minorities are disproportionately targeted and good people are driven out of public service, then the entire system suffers. A democracy starved of diversity, or populated only by those willing to endure abuse, is not a healthy democracy at all.
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Any solution must be multi-layered. The Garda requires resources and expertise to investigate threats seriously. Coimisiún na Meán needs support from Government in its efforts to hold platforms accountable for what they host and amplify. Political parties and advocacy groups must set higher standards for their members, resisting the temptation to turn disagreement into vilification. And the public must recognise that the health of democracy is shaped not just by institutions but by the tone of everyday political conversation.
This is not a uniquely Irish problem. In Germany, threats against mayors and councillors have led to tougher federal penalties. In France, security around MPs was reinforced after assaults during pension protests. Democracies worldwide are coming to the same conclusion: these acts need to be treated as an existential threat.
