Tánaiste Simon Harris said online threats by a social media troll had “violated” his family and made him believe his young daughter was in real danger.
Mr Harris told a sentencing hearing for a woman convicted of sending the messages to his Instagram account that he was “sickened and angered” and his family were hurt and scared by her actions.
In a victim-impact statement submitted to Dublin District Court, he said he had had to think about whether to provide a statement to the hearing but on balance, and with family support, had decided he should.
“We would rather not be doing this but I do think it’s important that the individual before the court understands the impact of her actions against my family and against my little child,” the statement read.
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“So much of the world is online these days but I want you to know that when you hide behind your keyboard, your words still have real impact and your threats cause hurt, pain and worry and pose danger.
“How would you feel to be reading that someone wants to harm your young child and threatening the most heinous and despicable of crimes?” he asked.
The questions related to Sandra Barry (40) of Tor an Rí, Balgaddy, Lucan, Co Dublin, who was sentenced to six months in jail on Thursday for the threats made last August.
Mr Harris pointed out that they came at a time when he and his family had already suffered from being at the receiving end of previous threats.
Mr Harris’s statement said he did not know the intention behind Barry’s messages, whether it was to carry out the threats or encourage others to do so, or if it was to intimidate him out of his job “knowing that the way to hurt and scare any parent is to threaten their innocent child”.
“Or is it simply done without any thought given to it and the pain and worry it causes?” he asked.
“We live in a world where threats of violence to political figures are becoming more commonplace and now also one where people’s families seem fair game too.
“When you decided to threaten my child, you violated our family.”
Mr Harris said the woman’s actions were not consequence-free and nor could they be.
“I genuinely believe your actions endangered us and my daughter by posting a threat implying harm and the most appalling harm which I can’t even find it within myself to write the word,” he wrote.
“In a world where such threats can motivate others to act, I am sickened and angered by the danger you posed and the pain and hurt you have caused us.”
