Security is steadily being increased for all senior politicians in the wake of escalating anti-immigration disturbances and a rise internationally in attacks on politicians.
Last month, The Irish Mail on Sunday (MoS) revealed the Taoiseach was resisting his security advisers’ recommendation that he move his family from their Wicklow home into Dublin’s Phoenix Park in the wake of fresh threats made against him.
However, the Mail has learned that the Department of Justice has been concerned about the ability to protect Mr. Harris’s home in Greystones since he was temporarily in charge of that department for six months at the beginning of last year, while Minister Helen McEntee was on maternity leave.
And on Monday night a senior garda [police officer] said: "The house [where Mr. Harris currently lives] is in a new-build suburban estate with gardens and others access adjoined. It is virtually impossible for us to properly protect."
The source continued: "Previous taoisigh [Irish leaders] have had isolated rural homes or, even when urban, the topography has made them easier to protect and keep secure. This is not the case with this residence."
A source close to the Taoiseach told the MoS last month that a bomb threat to his property made in June while his wife and young children were at home was a pivotal moment for the Harris family.
"The bomb scare has really shaken Mr. Harris and his family," they said. "We saw him in the Dáil for votes in the hours after the incident and he was as upset as we’ve ever seen him."
The source added: "He was at the Áras [Presidential home] when the call was made, his family at home, and when he came out, he saw his car wasn’t in the usual spot.
"The gardaí were on the phone communicating with the Emergency Response Unit who were already at his home in Wicklow, with the bomb squad. It was such a shock."
Security sources said they believe the only way Mr. Harris and his family can be adequately protected is for them to take up residence at the Taoiseach’s official residence.
The MoS reported that Mr. Harris had asked that all other security options be explored as his children are approaching school age.
Sources said the Taoiseach and his wife believe such a move would negatively affect their desire for a normal family life.
Mr. Harris was at Áras an Uachtaráin, not far from Steward’s Lodge, when the bomb threat was made against his home in Greystones.
The Taoiseach was with the newly appointed Finance Minister, Jack Chambers, when members of the Emergency Response Unit rushed to his home to evacuate the family as the house was searched.
Additional security screenings of Mr. Harris’s Greystones home have been conducted by gardaí and the Department of Justice.
There have been several protests outside the Fine Gael leader’s house in recent weeks, one of which was attended by men wearing balaclavas.
Others close to the Taoiseach said: "A round of arrests would do no harm."
A plan to move Mr. Harris and his family to the Phoenix Park has been discussed at the highest levels of Government.
The State bought the Farmleigh Estate from the Guinness family in 1999 for €29.2 million.
It was then refurbished by the Office of Public Works (OPW) as accommodation for visiting dignitaries and guests of the nation. A smaller house on the estate, the Steward’s Lodge, was included in the sale.
A senior Government source commented: "In Ireland, such a residence is viewed as a luxury but it is a vital requirement for a leader’s security."
Farmleigh Estate, Phoenix Park, Dublin. (Getty Images)
Additional protection for former taoisigh has been installed, as revealed by the Mail in May. Cabinet sources have also said a full overhaul of security for the Taoiseach, former taoisigh, and all senior politicians is being carried out as harassment linked to anti-immigration tensions escalates.
Sources also said security is being reviewed for all politicians and political candidates, including the requirement for election candidates to carry a home address on ballot papers.
A security review will advise the Government to reinstate 24-hour armed Garda protection for former taoisigh. One minister told the MoS: "We are aware of various incidents in recent times with former taoisigh but, honestly, it was an unwise decision made during straitened times to remove the security in the first place."
The Fine Gael-led government that took power in 2011 removed the security from former taoisigh as a cost-cutting measure.
That administration also took away all security and State cars for most Cabinet ministers. Ultimately, the measure did not result in significant savings.
It is now understood there will be a Government decision in the coming weeks to reinstate the same security to former taoisigh as is currently enjoyed by Cabinet ministers.
This will include armed gardaí, who will travel everywhere with former taoisigh as bodyguards, and high-spec cars with specially trained Garda drivers.
One senior politician who saw a demonstration outside their home said: "It’s the same people carrying out these so-called demonstrations at our homes. You’ve literally the same people going from house to house.
"I just don’t think this can be viewed as investigating an isolated incident."
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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