Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has been forced to move from his home in Dublin’s Castleknock to a safer place in the capital due to “credible” death threats.
Fifteen days ago, this newspaper revealed that in recent weeks several death threats have been made against the Tánaiste, which has led him to require 24-hour armed protection from the Garda. High-level sources say the death threats are being taken “extremely seriously” and the Gardaí are “responding appropriately” in terms of providing protection to Mr. Varadkar.
Well-placed sources now say that on the gardaí’s advice, the Tánaiste and his partner Matt Barrett moved out of their home in Castleknock.
It is the responsibility of the Special Detective Unit (SDU) to provide armed protection in the form of a full-time SDU driver to the Tánaiste of the day.
However, due to a number of recent threats, including some of a homophobic nature, Varadkar now warrants a full-time close protection detachment from the SDU. This involves a Garda detachment armed 24/7, in addition to your Garda driver.
The recent death threats are understood to have been “particularly unpleasant” and came from a number of different people. Some of the people who made the threats have been identified as having the potential to attempt to cause physical harm to the tánaiste.
Some of those involved are believed to be far-right extremists holding homophobic views, as well as advocates of the blockade and face masks. Not all death threats come from the far right, added one source, and while many of the threats have been made online, this “is not the only way” they have been issued.
A security source explained: “For obvious reasons, not much can be disclosed, as this is a security issue of national importance. But it is fair to say that the Gardaí do not increase the armed security of any member of the government to this level. Unless there is a good reason. This is being taken very seriously. “
Taoiseach Micheál Martin also has a close protection detail from the SDU. But this newspaper understands that the level of protection of the Tánaiste is currently higher than that of the Taoiseach, due to the level of threat against him.
The PSNI has also contacted the Garda about threats from loyal paramilitaries against Varadkar, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Foreign Minister Simon Coveney as the aftermath of Brexit intensifies. A high-ranking member of the UDA previously told this newspaper that “no one is off limits.”
While it is not unusual for members of the government to receive threats, each threat is evaluated separately to determine if it is credible.
“A full assessment is carried out on every threat received. Some of the threats against the Tánaiste come from people already on Garda’s radar, due to their involvement in extremism linked to some of the recent anti-blockade protests.” added a source.
In an interview this weekend in the Sunday Independent, Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond said he was aware of the threats made against the Tánaiste.
“The threats are unnerving. You know, if you want to go for a run within your 5k and you have to ask Special Branch to come with you, that has a huge impact on your life.
“And Leo, to be fair, has received a lot of threats over the years. He has received homophobic death threats; he has received racist death threats; he has received politically charged death threats; he has had loyalists who place his home address on the walls. And he’s also getting a lot from the far-right anti-blockade. “
Dublin’s TD Rathdown added that he believed Varadkar had full faith in An Garda Síochána.
“It’s not good for him or his partner Matt,” Richmond said. “But he’s doing it and he has a lot of faith in the guards.”
