Minister of State and Fianna Fáil TD for Waterford Mary Butler has said dealing with personal security concerns is the biggest challenge she faces in her role, following an alleged vandalism attack on her car.
Gardaí are investigating after Ms Butler’s car had a tyre damaged while it was parked in the Barker Street area of Waterford city while she was speaking at an event held nearby for International Women’s Day.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, Ms Butler said that over the last 18 months she has increased her own security.
“Being a politician in current times brings challenges. The biggest challenge I face doing a job that I love is dealing with personal safety concerns”.
She added that she had dealt with a credible death threat, abusive texts, and being targeted by the far right at events and at constituency offices, saying she was worried about her staff too.
“It is a genuine worry that I and many other politicians, especially female politicians, deal with every day of the week while we are doing our work,” she said.
It is understood the right rear tyre of the car was badly damaged, possibly by a screwdriver.
Ms Butler was made aware of the incident through a social media post alerting the car owner to the damage.
Gardaí confirmed that investigations are ongoing after they received a report of a suspected criminal damage incident in which a car was damaged.
They have appealed for anyone with information to contact Waterford Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line.
