Taoiseach Simon Harris issued a defiant statement on Tuesday, August 6 after he and his family were subject to another threat over the weekend.
“I do not comment on matters relating to my personal security or that of my family but more broadly I do want to make a few comments on trends we have been seeing,” the Taoiseach said in his statement on Tuesday.
“The laws of the land apply to people online just as much as offline. There can be no hiding place for anyone seeking to threaten, attack, or harm people or to incite others to do so.
“Politicians have become a regular target, and it is on the brink of being viewed as acceptable or a normal part of the job. It is not acceptable.
"I get up every day and go to work and work as hard as I can. So do most politicians I know from all parties, and none.
"Constant efforts to target us, demean us, or dehumanise us should never be accepted, never be normalised, and always called out.
“I will never be deterred from doing my job as Taoiseach.
“Men and women of An Garda Síochána do us proud every day in their work and I thank them for that.
“I thank the people right across this country for their kindness and decency - it means the world to me and my family.”
According to RTÉ News on Tuesday, gardaí are investigating a threat made in posts on social media against Simon Harris and his family over the weekend after they became aware of it on Saturday night.
The Irish Mirror reported on Tuesday that in the posts, the commenter referred to “knives out," Harris’ wife and his two young children.
“Go away FCKTRD WEASAL @simonharristd," one comment read.
“They’re COMING for YOU. Altho [sic] I think it’s your poor wife and kids they’ll take to the Wicklow mountains… stay tuned.”
RTÉ News further reported on Tuesday that gardaí requested that Instagram remove the post. However, the post remained online over the bank holiday weekend and was widely viewed, screenshotted, and recirculated.
As of Tuesday morning, the account used to post the threatening comments was a private account, meaning it can only be accessed with the owner's permission.
RTÉ News further reported on Tuesday that Meta, the company that owns Instagram, said it has now removed the content for violating its policies and is investigating.
The company declined to say when it was made aware of the threat to the Taoiseach and when it removed it.
It also declined to say why the threat remained online for days, why it has not shut down the account, if it is cooperating with the garda investigation, and why it waited until the violation was brought to its attention before removing it when it has the capabilities to proactively identify this material and prevent its dissemination.
This weekend's threat is the latest made against Simon Harris, who became Taoiseach in April, and his family.
On June 26, a bomb threat was made on the home of Taoiseach while his wife and young children were in the building. It is understood an anonymous caller made the threat to the Samaritans helpline.
Gardaí carried out a search of Harris's home, but no device was found and Harris's family did not have to be evacuated. The incident was later declared a hoax.
Earlier, on June 14, a group of people wearing masks gathered at the Taoiseach's home, some of them with banners that said "‘close the borders."
Gardai said afterward: "A small number of individuals gathered outside a residence in Greystones, Co Wicklow, shortly before 8 pm on Friday, 14th June 2024.
"Gardaí engaged with those present and instructed them to immediately leave the area, which they complied with."
Gardaí in the Wexford/Wicklow Division, supported by the Special Detective Unit, said on June 20 that they had arrested three males for alleged offences contrary to Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged harassment of an elected official.
The males, two of whom are aged in their 40s and one in his 30s, were detained at Garda Stations in Co Wicklow under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
All three were released without charge; a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Elsewhere, Dublin man Richard McGreevy was charged last month in connection with an online video that contained threats to kill Sinn Féin President TD Mary Lou McDonald. The video also contained threats against Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
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