Athlone based Senator, Gabrielle McFadden, has strongly condemned criticism of An Garda Siochána, her comments arise in the wake of recent verbal attacks on the Gardaí on television and abuse and threats on social media.
“Threats and insults against members of the police force are unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Those who are trying to stir up hatred and division for their own political ends deserve nothing but our condemnation.
“There is a small vocal minority who see it as acceptable or even desirable to attack the Gardaí. They are intent on creating trouble and fomenting hatred, but they do not represent the vast majority of the Irish people.
“It is about Irish men and women going out each day to do their job and being insulted and harassed, spat at and threatened, taunted and abused by a combination of louts and those with a political agenda of division and hate,” Senator McFadden commented.
The Senator further acknowledged An Garda Siochána’s contribution to the State.
“An Garda Siochána have provided valuable service to this State for 95 years and for people to attack them online, to share photos and details of their movements is totally reprehensible and I know that fair thinking people will agree with me on this.
“For far too long in our history we have had sinister forces in our society who refused to accept the legitimacy of An Garda Síochána and who saw no wrong in undermining them, threatening them and indeed killing them as they carried out their duties. We do not want to be dragged back to those dark days and I, for one, am standing with the thin blue line – I’m backing the Gardaí,” Senator McFadden concluded.
