Poor Paul Murphy - please read the OP before posting

Politicians are already answerable to the people. They have to be elected every 5 years (or less) to keep their jobs.

Politicians already have to explain their positions. They debate in the Dail, sit on committees, are interviewed by the media, are available to the public at constituency clinics, are available on social media. The list goes on and on.

How does a few wasters with signs hanging around his driveway hold Paul Murphy to account or make him explain his decisions? Do you think they're standing out there waiting for him to come out into his garden for a reasoned debate? And then they'll earnestly shake his hand and say "I don't agree with what you're saying, but I defend to the death your right to say it" and head home?

Some people seem to have this idea that "accountability" means having to suffer any kind of abuse in silence. That's not what it means at all.

To be fair to Murphy he is more acutely aware of that then anyone else.

Nah man, I've no time for Murphy's politics either, but don't forget, two British MPs have been murdered while working at constituency clinics in the last eight years, just for doing what people elected them to do.

That happened, in part, because there is this creeping narrative and extremist behaviour that says politicians homes and families and cars and friends have become some sort of legitimate target for physical attack or intimidation.

People are always asking for better quality politicians. How the fcuk do they expect quality people to put themselves forward only to look forward to that sort of bullshit carry-on.

What happened at Murphy's house is NEVER excusable, for ANY reason, any more than it was justified at Simon Harris' house, or Stephen Donnelly's or Martin Kenny's.

There must be complete and utter zero tolerance for this fascistic type of demonstration or else we will all be the worse for it.