Taoiseach Micheal Martin's office vandalised with red paint amid details of ‘intimidatory & abusive' personal threats

THE office of Taoiseach Micheál Martin has been vandalised, the third such attack in weeks.
The attack took place last night at the Taoiseach's constituency office in Turner's Cross on the Southside of
2
Taioseach Micheal Martin has received personal threats to his office
Credit: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire
2
The Taoiseach's constituency office was vandalised with paint last night
Credit: Collect
The window of the office was daubed with the words 'Zionist pawn' in black paint.
Red paint was used to deface the door and walls of the building.
It comes after personal threats were previously made against the
A spokesperson for Mr Martin's office told us: "I can confirm there was an act of vandalism on the constituency office last night. This is the third such attack.
READ MORE IRISH NEWS
"Personal threats have also previously been sent to the office, warning the Taoiseach it will be made impossible for him to navigate in public spaces.
"This is a working office with constituency staff acting on a daily basis to support the community on various issues.
'Those responsible for the criminal acts and intimidatory and abusive threats are fundamentally anti-democratic."
The spokesperson added: "We believe the vast majority of people who are appalled by the situation in Gaza would have nothing to do with such actions."
MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN
A poster was also pinned to the door of the office.
It claimed the Irish Government has been "complicit in the apartheid, occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people inflicted by Israel."
Technical experts were in attendance today and were collecting evidence at the site.
The office has a number of CCTV cameras and Gardai have collected footage and are examining this, hoping it will lead to an early arrest.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Irish Sun

2 hours ago

• The Irish Sun

Monster who raped victim while her son was in other room due back on Irish streets as 14 sex offenders released

A MONSTER who raped his victim while her son was in another room will be freed from prison this weekend. The Irish Sun can reveal Connors is being freed after completing a 10-month sentence he received for failing to notify Gardai of his address when he left Under the terms of his release, he has to notify Gardai of his whereabouts. But as he prepares for his release this weekend we can also reveal that he's still classified as having 'no fixed abode'. It's understood the Probation Services are working to find him a suitable place to live. READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS As part of his release conditions, he will also be placed on the He's also banned from trying to contact his innocent victim or any of her relatives. Although he received a 14-year sentence in 2009 for a brutal rape, he's also classified by Gardai as a 'serial thief'. He was released from prison in 2024 after serving a sentence for a series of thefts he committed in 2022. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN A senior prison source said: 'Connors is a serial offender and was behind a lot of thefts when he was released from his rape conviction. 'He's due out in a matter of days but still hasn't provided Gardai with any address. Moment evil soldier who raped woman in town centre is caught cowering in toilet 'He always returns to Wexford each time he's released from prison but it's possible he could go somewhere else. 'Connors is a very difficult prisoner and he will probably end up in prison again because he just can't help himself.' Connors raped his victim in 2006 along with another man before he was caged in 2009. They targeted the woman after calling to her BRUTAL ATTACK At their trial in December 2008, their victim recounted how the two men forced their way into her home. Her young She was pushed onto the bed and a piece of rope that was on the floor was wrapped around her neck. The two men denied the rapes in court but were both unanimously convicted by a jury in the Central Criminal Connors was released in 2019 with residents objecting to his return to Enniscorthy in a series of protests. 1 Monster John Connors is set to be released from prison in just days

RTÉ News​

3 hours ago

• RTÉ News​

The EU's indictment of Israel in Gaza: the hard work begins

The review into whether Israel is in violation of its obligations under its trade relations with the European Union, due to its conduct of the war in Gaza, was shrouded in secrecy and hobbled by last minute timing. National capitals only got the assessment late on Friday afternoon - foreign ministers are supposed to give a detailed response at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. Diplomats complained about having little time to assess the review's contents. The less time they have, the more potential for a divisive debate at the Monday meeting. The paper was circulated not long before EU ambassadors were scheduled to meet to discuss it at 6.30pm Brussels time on last night. "Until a few days ago, we had no idea if it would be just an oral presentation," an EU diplomat said yesterday morning. "Now we have confirmation it will be a written report, which for us is extremely important. The value of a written report is greater." The review was ordered by the EU's Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas after a majority of EU foreign ministers supported a Dutch proposal last month to assess whether Israel was in breach of the human rights and international humanitarian law obligations enshrined in Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The review was carried out by the EU's Special Representative for Human Rights. It essentially collated existing findings produced by a plethora of UN bodies. Yet, over seven pages it was a searing indictment of Israel's alleged failure to abide by human rights law, and the rules governing the protection of civilians during war, both in Gaza and the West Bank. It focused on Israel's complete blockade of any food, medicine and fuel entering Gaza for 11 weeks from 2 March, before Israel eventually permitted a "militarised" food distribution service which was accompanied by "deadly" shootings of Palestinians. Since the Hamas 7 October attacks, discrimination, oppression, and violence against Palestinians had increased in the West Bank, with a "significant increase in Palestinian fatalities" and attacks by Israeli settlers, accompanied by "sustained settlement expansion". There were road closures, checkpoints, and barriers that "permanently or intermittently restrict the movement of Palestinians across the West Bank." These increasingly undermined Palestinians' access to livelihoods, healthcare, education and other essential services. The "unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians" in Gaza was "a direct consequence of the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) failure to comply with fundamental principles of [International Humanitarian Law]". The report said of the verified Palestinian deaths caused by attacks on residential buildings in Gaza, 44% were children - "mainly young children and babies." The fact that these deaths did not reflect the demographic of Hamas combatants "points to indiscriminate attacks." The use of heavy weapons, including airstrikes, on civilian shelters (including tent encampments and schools) "raise concerns about Israel's compliance with the principles of precautions in attack, and proportionality". Attacks on hospitals and medical centres in Gaza included "direct strikes, sieges, the use of snipers, raids, and the apparent arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of medical staff, patients and their companions, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering at hospitals", and the killing of many emergency medical workers. Israel had failed to comply with binding International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings in early 2024 to provide humanitarian aid in Rafah "with a view to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of the Genocide Convention." And on the review goes… Needless to say, the report found that Israel's obligations under human rights and international law to protect civilians were in breach, as were its obligations under Article 2 of its agreement with the EU. Ireland and Spain first highlighted concerns last year that Israel was in breach of Article 2. The trenchant support for Israel by Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and others meant there was no consensus for a review to take place. That changed after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapsed in March and the IDF intensified its assault on Gaza, including the prolonged humanitarian blockade. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp revived the Irish-Spanish initiative in April, and at a meeting of his counterparts in May, the pendulum swung in favour of action. 17 member states - including Ireland - supported a review of Article 2 compliance (two countries joined the list afterwards); sentiment at EU level was clearly shifting. Yet, the divisions remain. Despite last night's report, we are in for a protracted period of step-by-step diplomacy. Ms Kallas will canvas the views of 27 foreign ministers on Monday, and then brief EU leaders during their summit in Brussels next Thursday. Yesterday, diplomats were emphasising the need for unity. So sensitive is the Israel-Gaza issue, that a menu of options against Israel will be kept off the table for now. "There are those among the 17 (member states) who wanted the review but who don't actually want any measures against Israel to be taken," says a senior EU official. "They want to use this as a way of applying pressure to Israel. There are those who definitely want measures to be taken, and there are those who didn't even want the review in the first place." A senior EU diplomat, from a country in favour of the review, said: "It's clear what needs to happen: first of all, we want as broad agreement as possible on the outcome of the review. We know it will not be unanimous, it will not be consensual, but we hope that a big group of member states can subscribe to the conclusion of the review." That would, in theory, allow Ms Kallas to take the findings to the Israelis and use the threat of punitive measures to encourage Israel to massively increase humanitarian support and to move towards a ceasefire. Preserving unity next week will be challenging. When EU ambassadors had their first meeting on the forthcoming review on Wednesday, the divisions were already clear. "You could see the different positions of member states reflected in the more procedural interventions," says one diplomat. "The Irish, Belgians, Spanish and Slovenians were pushing for an immediate discussion among ministers about next steps and consequences, whereas others were fiercely pushing back on that: the Hungarians, the Czechs, the Germans and - to a lesser extent - the Italians." It is understood the Irish government initially wanted Ms Kallas to lean towards some kind of list of options the EU could take against Israel, now that it had been found in violation of Article 2. However, Dublin had apparently accepted the prevailing view that unity was vital and that the threat of further action could convince Israel to change its policy towards humanitarian aid, and towards a ceasefire. In this scenario, we would have to wait for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in July before Ms Kallas presents a range of options Europe could take. In a statement, Tánaiste Simon Harris welcomed the findings of the review. "Ireland has always been clear that any such review can only reach one conclusion – there is clear evidence that Israel is in breach of its obligations under Article 2 of the Agreement. We now expect the EU and its Member States to take concrete actions in follow up to the review." External events could also derail any consensus building. Diplomats stressed the need to keep the Article 2 issue separate from the Israel-Iran war raging in the background. "It's part of Israel's strategy to divert attention from what is happening in Gaza and in Palestine," says one diplomat. "That's precisely what we don't want. The situation in Gaza and Palestine is absolutely critical, and we need to keep a very strong focus on it." "On the Iran-Israel issue," says another diplomat, "some foreign ministers will make the point that given what's happening, perhaps we should hold off on the review, hold off on making this an issue in our conversation with Israel. I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time." There is also growing frustration - shared in Dublin - at those EU capitals which have emphasised quiet diplomacy with Israel. One source suggested that "whispering to the Israelis" had yet to deliver any meaningful response in 18 months of the Gaza war. Pressure is building elsewhere. This week, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot spearheaded a joint letter - co-signed by Tánaiste Simon Harris, as well as the foreign ministers of Finland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden - calling on Ms Kallas to ensure that the EU is compliant with last summer's ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. The advisory opinion held that Israel's occupation was illegal, and that countries were obliged to ensure they did not support the occupation through trade. The Belgian initiative chimes with the Irish government's view that the ICJ ruling is binding on EU member states and that a ban on products from illegal settlements is effectively a legal obligation (ie, the legal impetus for the Occupied Territories Bill). Belgium expects other countries to join the call. A senior diplomat from one member state said his government was in favour of the Belgian initiative, but preferred not to sign the letter given that its recommendation - banning settlement products - was one of the "options" that could put pressure on fragile EU unity. The private view within the European Commission is that the EU is broadly in line with the ICJ ruling. However, the Commission has sent a number of legal opinions to the member state working group on international judicial affairs (COJUR). "The issue has been back and forth without any consensus," says a senior EU official. "It's never reached the political level, but it's been discussed by diplomats." The Belgian letter essentially calls for Ms Kallas - who represents both the Commission and member states - to speed the process up. It urges the Commission to bring forward measures to ensure that member states are in compliance, given that the "European Union is founded on the values as stated in the UN Charter, such as the respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights…[and that] all EU Member States are parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice." Whether the Commission will introduce new legislation to reflect the growing clamour - as reflected in the Occupied Territories Bill - for a ban on goods coming from illegal Israeli settlements remains to be seen. One source suggests that the Commission could provide for individual member states to make their own national arrangements. The fact that the review of Israel's conduct, for so long a disregarded Irish-Spanish gambit, has finally happened and does not pull any punches is, relative to the EU's tortuous policy on Gaza, an achievement. However, the length of time it has taken to hold Israel to account, and the fact that even now a punitive response could take several months, will further call into question the EU's moral backbone, with the death toll in Gaza standing at over 56,000, according to Palestinian authorities. The fact that the EU's role in foreign policy necessarily gives each member states a veto (foreign policy is normally a fundamental expression of national sovereignty) is of meagre comfort to those who believe Europe should have done more and done it quicker. Diplomats are increasingly frustrated that in the generational challenges of our time - Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Israel's response to the Hamas October 7 attacks - the EU's voice has been blunted by division and national vetoes. In the event that Ms Kallas does provide a menu of responses to foreign ministers in July, it is by no means clear what happens next. The EU has never taken action against a trade partner for such a breach of a trade agreement. A full suspension of the Association Agreement would require unanimity, with a Hungarian, German and Czech veto almost certain. There has been speculation that suspending elements of EU Israel trade would only require a so-called Qualified Majority Vote (QMV). On the basis of the 19 countries which supported a review, that qualified majority could be reached. However, one EU official questioned whether even this would be possible. "Even suspending some trade could be seen as a sanctions measure, and that would therefore require unanimity," said the official. "We've also discussed a complete ban on trade with Israel, and that would be against our WTO obligations - so that is a non starter." For any measure to be taken it would require a proposal from the European Commission, meaning the issue runs - once again - straight into national divisions. On only two occasions in the history of the EU has an issue gone to a vote among the College of 27 commissioners (each from a member state) since the body strives for consensus. There is no doubt that attitudes to Israel have hardened, even among its traditional allies. Last month, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a TV interview: "What the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip, I no longer understand the goal. To harm the civilian population in such a way … can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism." Whether this pressure, which should be amplified by the publication of the review, makes any difference to Israel's conduct remains an open question.

Irish Times

4 hours ago

• Irish Times

If our Geraldine can thrive in Trump's Washington, she might be a worthy winner of the race for the Áras

It's been no fun trying to whip up any sort of speculation about the forthcoming presidential election. The kites aren't flying the way they used to. It seems the vicious nature of recent campaigns is making potential candidates think twice about taking a tilt at the Áras, while the political parties, still weighing up their options, hope a shorter mobilisation might limit carnage. Nonetheless, some interesting names are floating about. A number of Fianna Fáil stalwarts have been mentioned: former taoiseach Bertie Ahern , former minister Mary Hanafin and MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchú while Barry Andrews, her colleague in Brussels, has graciously ruled himself out. READ MORE Then there was talk of the party sounding out the former SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood , who said he wouldn't rule out running when he was sounded out by the BBC. The MP for Derry's Foyle constituency said he was mulling over his prospects because 'people have asked'. Fianna Fáiler Micheál Martin was quick to say he wasn't one of them. 'There's been no contact with me, there's been no engagement that I am aware of from the Fianna Fáil party and it hasn't been on the agenda at all,' he said. A candidate from outside the fold remains a distinct possibility. There are whispers in political and diplomatic circles about Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland's ambassador to Washington. Fianna Fáil sources say her name is getting a lot of traction. A hugely experienced diplomat with an impressive CV, Byrne Nason spearheaded Ireland's successful campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2020. She is a former second secretary general in the Department of An Taoiseach, which made her the country's highest-ranking woman public servant at the time. She received Concern Worldwide's annual Women of Concern Award for 'her outstanding career as a female leader within the diplomatic and Civil Service and her unwavering dedication to advocating for women's rights at home and abroad'. She was awarded the freedom of her native Drogheda in 2020. A Fianna Fáil source said: 'There really is a dearth of good candidates out there. Geraldine would be an inspired choice. She would be a candidate of stature and if the party rows in behind her campaign we could be on to a winner. And she'd have the Louth vote sewn up.' Here's another interesting one. The businessman and founder of the homeless charity Tiglin, Senator Aubrey McCarthy, is also a name which keeps coming up when the presidential election is discussed. Senator McCarthy, who was elected to the Upper House for the first time this year, has not ruled out a run. One Leinster House observer tells us how Kildare-based Aubrey 'has been noticed on the Ferrero Rocher embassy circuit of late'. Meanwhile, he is holding a big bash in The Elms in Punchestown this weekend for friends and sponsors who helped him in his Seanad campaign. What better way for Aubrey to kick start a new campaign, if he really is thinking of throwing his hat into the ring? But surely Seán Gallagher has to be a long shot? The businessman who unsuccessfully contested the last two presidential elections – he looked set for victory in 2007 until his campaign imploded amid controversy over his connections with Fianna Fáil – was seen a number of weeks ago in the Dáil bar with Cathal Lee, a key member of his campaign team. They met a number of independent senators, according to our source. But it seems unlikely he would go for the hat-trick of runs. On the Sinn Féin front, Northern Ireland First Minister and party vice-president Michelle O'Neill has yet to rule out a run for the Irish presidential election. She said at the North South Ministerial Council that the party 'is working its way through deliberations on putting forward a candidate'. Fine Gael seems to be quietly coasting towards the campaign with front-runner Mairead McGuinness keeping a low profile while questions rage over which other candidates might join her on the ticket. But nothing has been decided yet. MEP Seán Kelly hasn't indicated whether he will contest the party's nomination. He is due to address the Association of European Journalists in Dublin next Thursday. Guests will be wondering if he chooses this occasion to bow out or make his first stump speech. And finally, Dr Mike Ryan, the Sligo-born public health specialist, is being lined up as a keynote speaker at next month's MacGill Summer School. The former deputy director general of the World Health Organisation – he became a household name during the Covid crisis and is an outspoken voice on the humanitarian cost of Israel's assault on Gaza – is being courted by a number of parties, including Labour , as a consensus Left candidate. If he makes it to Glenties, his speech may reveal all. Fox news The sad news of a fox perishing in the fountain outside Government Buildings in Dublin on Tuesday was one of the most-talked-about topics of the week. Not least because many of us feared it was Mildred, a fox regularly sighted strolling around Leinster Lawn haughtily ignoring the political and media wildlife trying to take her photo. Not to be confused with the other Mildred Fox, who was an Independent TD for Wicklow from 1995 to 2007. A number of people have been in touch since we reported the sad death, wondering how a creature as strong and agile as a fox could drown in relatively shallow water. Former Green Party minister Roderic O'Gorman has the answer. It was a fox cub, probably still getting used to going out exploring on its own. O'Gorman's office in the Engineering Block looks into an area at the back of Government Buildings, near the service and maintenance areas for Leinster House. There is an open basement area under the block where a family of foxes resides in a hidey hole under the pipes. 'I saw them originally about three weeks ago just peeping out of the den – still very small. But they are growing up fast.' he told us on Friday. 'When I see them now, it's just them on their own, so they are obviously big enough for their parents to let them out.' O'Gorman shot a video of them running around the place last week. 'I saw four of them playing then, but when I was looking down on them this morning [Thursday] there was only three.' The Merrion Street/Kildare Street campus is their playground. 'They can go through to the courtyard through the arches. One of them must have gone in there, which is awful.' Three government ministers held press conferences in the courtyard on Tuesday morning – Paschal Donohoe, James Browne and Jim O'Callaghan. There were large media contingents at the briefings. Strangely, nobody noticed the dead fox in the fountain. It was switched off the following day and thoroughly cleaned. 'It's great to see such amazing wildlife right here in Leinster House in the very heart of Dublin, but it's awful sad to see us losing one of the family,' said O'Gorman, the only Green TD in the Dáil. Just don't tell Danny Healy-Rae or Michael Collins where the rest of them are. Mildred, we are assured, is still around. Welcome to the wildly inaccurate Rose county Don't cry for me, Ballymena... Maria Walsh , a former Rose of Tramore, told the EU Parliament in the Brussels town of Strasbourg this week that Ireland and Europe must stand with victims of hate-fuelled crimes and 'show that diversity is a strength, not a threat'. The Fine Gael MEP for Midlands-Northwest referred to recent public order disturbances in the North during the 'One-minute speeches for matters of political importance' slot on Monday. With just 60 seconds to get her point across, Walsh, reading carefully from her one-page script, didn't notice a glaring error in her opening line. A microphone malfunction at the start wouldn't have helped either. 'Recent riots on the island of Ireland, which began in the town of Ballymena in Co Leitrim have morphed from concern about a tragic sexual assault allegation into xenophobic violence against migrant families,' she began. 'As Amnesty Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan said, we are just one petrol bomb away from racially motivated murder.' Luckily, Sinn Féin's eagle-eyed observers spotted her geographical gaffe and, in the spirit of comradely co-operation, a member of the comms team took to social media to point it out. 'Could someone please provide Fine Gael with a map of Ireland?' Luke O'Riordan asked, attaching a video clip of the moment. As it happened, the error was spotted a couple of days before this generous intervention. The clip Walsh posted to her own account had already been seamlessly edited with no reference to Leitrim, the Wild Rose County. AK-47 is reloaded and the safety catch is off Former Labour leader Alan Kelly is enjoying something of a renaissance these days, what with chairing the Oireachtas Media Committee and a nicely blossoming Dáil double-act with Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan . Kelly has suddenly become the man with the inside track on issues of concern in the world of law enforcement. He says he has told the minister more about what is going on than his Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris . He was talking about the overdue remedial work on Garda stations, particularly those affected by asbestos. Why has the Commissioner not given the minister details of people at risk and situations where the State may be exposed to claims? 'Does this not create a huge risk that you really need to put close to the top of your pile as regards the issues the Commissioner hasn't told you about? Maybe you need to have a truth and reconciliation meeting with the Commissioner. Perhaps you need to sit down and say, 'Hey Commissioner! Do you know what, you're out the gap there on the first of September. Is there anything else in the long list of issues that you haven't told me about?'' The following day, Kelly told the Dáil that he was the first person to inform the Minister that undercover gardaí supplied guns to Evan Fitzgerald, the young man who took his own life at a Carlow shopping centre on June 1st. He said he rang O'Callaghan on June 3rd to let him know of the involvement of undercover gardaí. 'Is it correct that I had to tell him to go to the Garda Commissioner and ask him about the full details in relation to this case?' He has already revealed information about garda holsters, importation issues with guns, drugs in HQ, thousands of missing fingerprints. 'I can guarantee you many of the other issues still have not been brought your attention,' he said, ominously. 'So I would encourage you to have that truth and reconciliation meeting very soon. Otherwise, I'm going to be coming in here on many many more issues that you're not bloody well aware of.' Justice Questions might be worth watching in the future.