Cork councillors welcome request to end thepublishing of home addresses of election candidates

CORK councillors have welcomed a request by Green Party TD Patrick Costello that candidates for election should not have to publish their home addresses.

Mr Costello has written to Local Government Minister Kieran O’Donnell and the Electoral Commission saying that the practice needs to end before next year’s local elections due to the dangers it poses to people running for office.

It follows a number of incidents nationally where politicians homes were targeted.

Carrigaline-based Fine Gael councillor Jack White said the “protection of a home address for people in public life is a fair suggestion”.

“I would agree with that in principle. It is very important that anyone who chooses to go into public life and public representation has an enhanced right to privacy given the proliferation of online and other abuse that has come in over recent years.

“My home address isn’t published online and I have made a conscious effort not to have it published online. A right to privacy is important,” he said.

Mr White said the increasing targeting of public reps is contributing to many political parties struggling to find new candidates ahead of next year’s local elections.

“I haven’t come across any threatening letters to my home, but I have heard of plenty that have.

“It is getter harder to get new and young people into politics. Perspective candidates do think is it worth getting involved in politics when incidents happen and I don’t blame them.

“Anything that can be done to help ease that passage in or to make them feel safer as they come into politics would be welcome. If this measure does it then great.”

Meanwhile, Labour Party councillor for the city's North East ward John Maher said: “If we can make it safer, then I am all for it”.

“I understand where Deputy Costello is coming from. If only one person feels threatened and will not go into politics because of putting down their address on the form then my attitude is to get it off. I don’t have an office so my house is my office.

“Anybody who needs to meet me, we do it in my house as often the issues can be sensitive and people don’t want to meet in a public place.

“I do understand that if one person is being intimated, then this is one person too many,” he said.

Mr Maher emphasised that it is important that people’s safety is always put first.

“If this suggestion makes politics a safer place and ensures people stand for election I see no problem with them driving on with it.”