Concerns over the safety of Ireland’s politicians are front and centre once more after prominent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae was assaulted in Dublin city centre on Wednesday.
Recent years have seen protests outside prominent politicians’ homes and Oireachtas members speaking out about the abuse, threats and fear they face.
There have been assaults and abuse of candidates during elections.
A Security Requirements Allowance was introduced to help politicians improve security at their homes and offices amid heightened fears for their safety.
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Protests outside Leinster House in September 2023, which included a mock gallows and led to arrests, marred the first day back in the Dáil after the summer recess.
Healy-Rae was verbally abused, jostled and threatened in the street during that unrest three years ago.
Now he has been attacked on the street, an incident that has been widely condemned by TDs across the political spectrum.
As we report in our lead story, Healy-Rae sustained at least one blow to the head and was cut in the face in Wednesday’s attack, which happened just after 4pm near the Coombe hospital in the south inner city.
He was in his car at the time – a white Skoda with “Michael Healy-Rae” signage on it.
The TD’s son Jackie Healy-Rae jnr said his father was verbally abused by a passerby and was then assaulted by a man who punched him through the open window of the car.
He said his father, who was taken to hospital and discharged later on Wednesday evening, had been shaken and shocked by the experience.
Gardaí believe that the attack, on Cork Street, was spur-of-the-moment and that the person who assaulted Healy-Rae was not part of any protest group in the area at the time.
The assailant fled the scene.
Michael Healy-Rae’s brother Danny Healy-Rae referred in the Dáil to the incident, saying: “My brother was assaulted in the car and it’s not on.”
He added such things “shouldn’t happen to public representatives. We get elected to help people and not to hurt them, and if we can’t do right by everyone, it’s tough. We can’t please everyone. We’re doing our best. It’s unfair to hit a fellow in the window without being able to defend himself.”
The attack comes a day after a public order incident at the National Ploughing Championships during which a man was arrested in a confrontation with gardaí while trying to approach Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
It is understood the man was arrested for an alleged attempted assault on Tuesday.
Gardaí said no one was injured in the incident and that a man in his 60s has since been charged and released to appear before a sitting of the District Court at a later date.
There appears to be little sign that the fraught environment in which our politicians live their lives and seek to carry out their work representing the people has eased.
It is a worrying development.
O Canada
There is also coverage on the front page of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s state of the union speech in which she signalled closer links with Canada and increased European security co-operation.
In a move that commission sources said was designed to send a political signal to Canada – but also to the Trump administration – she pitched the idea of bringing the EU-Canada relationship to the “highest possible level”, opening the door to Canada becoming an “associate member” of the EU – a concept that does not legally exist at present.
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jack Power report on the speech and reaction to the proposals in Dublin.
Elsewhere, Power has an explainer on why the EU is courting Canada and he also has a look at von der Leyen’s proposals for a EU-wide age limit on social media use by children.
Best Reads
A Government TD compared the length of time a woman would have to wait for an abortion to the duration of a hangover during a committee debate on plans to scrap the mandatory three-day wait. Ellen Coyne has the story.
Political Editor Pat Leahy has set out five things we have learned from a new book about former taoiseach Brian Cowen here.
In her piece on the Dáil’s first day back, Sarah Burns writes that with a budget looming and another winter fuel crisis feared, it’s fair to say no one had either Ed Sheeran or Macklemore on their bingo card. But with news filtering through later of the assault on Healy-Rae, she writes: “Yes, the Dáil is back. But, it seems, to a worrying and more challenging political atmosphere than before.”
“MetroLink is happening,” Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has insisted. Martin Wall reports on the major infrastructure project going to Cabinet on Wednesday.
Aontú and Independent Ireland leaders have signalled they are open to a vote-transfer pact. Jack Horgan-Jones reports.
Fiachra Gallagher has the latest on President Catherine Connolly’s visit to Scotland where she met first minister John Swinney and King Charles.
On Wednesday’s Inside Politics podcast Hugh Linehan talks to our Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally on the aftermath of two recent elections – the general election in Sweden and the regional election in the Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. Each offers some fascinating insights into the current trends and future directions in Germany and Scandinavia.
Playbook
Proceedings in the Dáil kick off with Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien taking parliamentary questions at 8:47am.
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley is up next to be quizzed by TDs at 10:23am.
Leaders’ Questions is at noon.
Government Business in the afternoon is a second stage debate on the National Vehicle and Driver File, Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2026.
There is a motion from the Independent and Parties Technical Group seeking a €500 household electricity credit funded by an electricity consumption levy on data centres. That will be debated from 5:26pm.
There will be an opportunity for TDs to raise topical issues from 7:26pm.
The Committee on Defence will hear from Defence Forces representative associations on their priorities from 9:30am.
The Public Accounts Committee will meet in public session from 10:30am to catch up on correspondence and discuss their work programme for the new Dáil term.
Officials from the Department of Housing will be questioned on Traveller accommodation by the Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community from 12:30pm.
