Independent TD, Carol Nolan, has criticised a decision by Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy to disallow a question which sought to urge the Minister for Justice to acknowledge growing concerns regarding anti-Catholic rhetoric.
The question submitted by Deputy Nolan said she sought “to ask the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of a recent incident involving a suspected toxic substance being addressed to a person” and “if he will acknowledge that there are growing concerns among the Catholic population that anti-Catholic rhetoric both online and in the political realm may be fuelling such incidents and if he will make a statement on the matter.”
She included as detail for her question media reports of a suspected volume of anthrax being sent to Iona Institute Director, Mr David Quinn. Last month, a letter claiming to contain anthrax was sent to the Iona CEO with an abusive letter.
Deputy Nolan received a response from an Ceann Comhairle which said that the question was being disallowed under Standing Order 46(5) as it “contains argument and or personal imputation”.
The Offaly TD said that she was concerned at the “failure of the minister” to “engage even in a minimal way with the substantive issue around toxic anti-Catholic rhetoric”.
“I’m really disappointed that my question about suspected Anthrax being sent to the Iona Institute Offices was ruled out of order,” she said. “If suspected Anthrax was delivered to any other organisation would such a parliamentary question still be ruled out of order?”
“I am deeply disappointed by the application of this broad and rather opaque standing order to my parliamentary question,” the Offaly TD told Gript.
“I am more concerned however by the failure of the minister, whose department I am in no doubt pushed for the disallowance of my question, to engage even in a minimal way with the substantive issue around toxic anti-Catholic rhetoric.”
“They seem willing, at the drop of a hat, to comment on a plethora of real or imagined threats to certain communities, but when it comes to Catholics feeling unsafe the response is silence and the slamming of procedural shutters. It is despicable.”
“A prominent journalist and high profile Catholic is subjected to a brazen ordeal of intimidation and yet our Minister and our Dept of Justice feel it is entirely OK to let it pass as an unremarkable event unworthy of even a perfunctory statement of concern,” the Independent TD said.
“Catholics should remember this the next time Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael reps stand outside our churches shaking their collection boxes,” she added.