Taoiseach Simon Harris was forced to cut short a canvassing event in Co Mayo on Sunday, June 2 after being confronted by the family of jailed schoolteacher Enoch Burke.
Harris, who was canvassing on behalf of Fine Gael European candidate Maria Walsh in Castlebar, was heckled by members of the Burke family as he walked through the town.
The group, including Burke's father Seán Burke, followed, filmed, and shouted at Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee as they visited businesses and met with local voters.
After Harris departed for another canvassing event in Castlebar, the group continued to follow McEntee as she was escorted back to her car.
The Burke family again heckled Harris as he canvassed voters in Westport later in the day.
Enoch Burke remains in Mountjoy Jail for contempt of court for refusing to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath. Burke was dismissed from the school in 2022 after allegedly confronting then-principal Niamh McShane at a school event over a request to refer to a transgender student by their requested pronouns.
Burke continued to attend the school after his dismissal and was subsequently jailed for contempt of court.
Burke has claimed that he has been jailed for standing up for his religious beliefs, while members of his family confronted the Taoiseach over the issue during Sunday's protest.
One video of Sunday's incident appears to show a member of the group pushing Harris in the back, while a member of An Garda Síochána also appears to have been hit during the incident.
A second canvass with the Taoiseach Simon Harris and Maria Walsh in Westport has been interrupted by the Burkes…
Mr Harris and Ms Walsh were supposed to be canvassing at Westport Pride @IrishMirror pic.twitter.com/esPSy8WjJW
— Louise Burne (@louiseburne_) June 2, 2024
A spokesperson for the Taoiseach described the incident as "thuggery."
"What happened in Mayo today was not protest. It was thuggery," a spokesperson for Harris said on Sunday evening.
"The Taoiseach would like to thank An Garda Siochana for their professionalism. A member of An Garda Siochana was hit during the scenes and the Taoiseach was pushed and jostled by a small number of people.
"It is not representative of what has been a really healthy canvass for the majority of politicians across the country as people in Ireland are decent and law-abiding.
"Although it was a very small number of people, today’s behavior cannot be accepted and should never be normalized and a full Garda investigation should be carried out.
"The people of Mayo were warm and welcoming today and the Taoiseach really enjoyed meeting so many people across much of the county and thanks them for their time."
Harris, meanwhile, said he would not be deterred by protests such as the one he encountered on Sunday.
"It takes an awful lot to disrupt my energy and I certainly enjoyed continuing to talk to people in Castlebar, calling into cafes, calling into shops, getting out the message," Harris said.
Harris added that it would be "inappropriate" for him to comment on a decision made by the courts.
"Anybody who expects the Taoiseach to do that clearly doesn’t understand how the Constitution of Ireland works."
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