*Timmy Dooley TD (FF). Photograph: John Mangan
DEATH threats in the form of mass cards have been sent to the home of Clare Junior Minister, Timmy Dooley (FF).
Politics requires a thick skin but the level of abuse received by democratically elected individuals is on the rise.
A report by the UCD Centre for Digital Policy published last May found some 94% of politicians and 72% of political staff encountered some form of threat, harassment or violence.
Last month, the BBC reported that some Stormont politicians were issued with death and rape threats while others were physically attacked in their offices or on the street with some avoiding parts of their own constituency for fear of attack or verbal abuse. Some members of the Northern Ireland Assembly admitted they are considering leaving elected politics over the abuse.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Clare TD, Timmy Dooley (FF) admitted threats and abuse has been a constant in his twenty three years in politics. “It has always been a feature of my time in politics, I’ve had crazy stuff over the years, I’ve had mass cards sent to me, I’ve had threats so that stuff doesn’t get to me”.
“I’ve had messages sent and anonymous stuff put through the door wishing me death, it happens a couple of times every year, it will be around some particular issue that gets people wound up, the stuff online is run of the mill because they can be anywhere but when somebody puts something through the door of your office wishing you death, that is not pretty,” Dooley outlined.
Such threats take more of a toil on his family, he said. The Junior Minister confirmed that he has never made a formal complaint with An Garda Síochána over the incidents. “Once I shared a threat with the Gardaí, I didn’t make a formal complaint because a lot of the stuff I take with the run of the mill, some people say things out of anger and I don’t want to be wasting Garda time because I am able to handle myself, it is more a sentiment, a mass card with your name on it for the repose of your soul, I can handle it but maybe my wife can’t”.
Earlier this month, the Junior Minister shared a picture online of an ice-cream cone in Kilkee, his “first of the season”. The ice cream post turned sour but Timmy is refusing to melt under the pressure that comes with being a politician. “There’s always detractors, I tend to be straight and up front with people, I don’t play populist politics so I don’t tell people what they want to hear”. The Mountshannon native continued, “I tend to work hard, I like to think I’m honest with the public, I don’t sugarcoat issues, if there is a difficult issue I’m upfront, you know that because if you want a comment from me then I’ll give it straight, I won’t try duck or dive, other people try to be all things to all men and if that works for them fine, it’s not my style”.
