A survey on abuse encountered by TDs and Senators has found that 94% of respondents experienced some form of threat, harassment, abuse or violence during the course of their work.
The study also found that 72% of political staff had a similar experience.
The recommendations will be published later today, alongside the findings of a survey of politicians conducted by UCD and commissioned by the Oireachtas.
Just 28% of the 220 TDs and Senators took part in the survey and of the 580 political staff, 35% took part.
The taskforce, chaired by former garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan, has set out a number of recommendations including increased co-operation between the Oireachtas and gardaí to improve security arrangements for TDs and Senators.
Following concern last summer over the level of abuse directed towards politicians, a taskforce examining the safety of politicians was established by the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil and the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.
It has brought forward a number of recommendations, including increased co-operation between Oireachtas authorities and An Garda Síochána regarding security arrangements that may be required for politicians.
There are already weekly meetings between gardaí and the Oireachtas authorities, but this suggests building upon that.
It also recommends an opt-in social media monitoring service for TDs and Senators and a review of the security allowance available to members, which facilitates the purchase of equipment such as alarms and CCTV.
In relation to the abuse encountered by elected members, 67% of it related to immigration, 47% to women’s rights, 40% to housing/homelessness and 40% to LGBTQ+ issues.
Women were found to be more likely to experience digital harassment, prejudicial slurs, threats of sexual violence, sexual harassment, unwanted sexual approaches, sexually explicit images and were more likely to receive comments on their appearance.
Older politicians were less likely to experience abuse.
The findings of the survey, alongside the recommendations of the safety taskforce, will be revealed during an event in Leinster House this afternoon.
The taskforce calls on the Oireachtas to apply for accreditation as a “trusted flagger” to Coimisiún na Meán so that platforms are obliged to give priority to reports received from the Oireachtas.
A forum is to be set up between social media companies, An Garda Síochána and Coimisiún na Meán to address the online abuse of politicians.
The taskforce requests that the Oireachtas reviews and updates the existing codes of conduct under the Standards in Public Office Act for TDs and Senators to include provisions to address abuse, including online abuse, and discriminatory behaviours.
It requests that the Oireachtas establishes a senior officials implementation and oversight group and to have a senior official from the Department of the Taoiseach involved.
