Explicit threats of violence were posted on a Meta social media platform on Saturday night targeting the Fine Gael leader and specifically referencing his children. Investigators from the Special Detective Unit (SDU) are pursuing the matter, and the inquiry is being led by a counter-terror team that investigates right-wing extremism and political violence. Garda headquarters was notified after the posts, and sources described the threats as extremely grave and handled at the highest levels of the force. The SDU is liaising with the social media company to identify the poster. The SDU was also alerted that the Tánaiste's home address circulated among far-right actors online. A spokesperson for Mr Harris declined to comment. High-level security arrangements that were retained after his time as taoiseach remain in place following a prior threat assessment by garda intelligence services.
Messages were posted on a social media platform on Saturday night in which threats of violence were specifically made against them. Investigators from the Special Detective Unit (SDU), which oversees threats to national security and violent political extremism, are pursuing the matter. Previous incidents included a bomb threat being called in to his family home, masked men gathering outside the property, and threats of violence being made against his wife and children.
Garda headquarters was made aware of the most recent threat on Saturday after several messages were posted on a Meta platform that made specific reference to Mr Harris's children and threatened serious violence against them. A source told the Irish Independent: "These threats are extremely grave and are being taken very seriously given the content in the messages. This matter is also being dealt with at the highest levels of the force "The SDU are liaising with the social media company involved as is standard in an attempt to identify the individual who posted these threats. "This matter is also being dealt with at the highest levels of the force."
The inquiry is being led by a specific team within the counter-terror unit that investigates right-wing extremism and political violence. The SDU has also been made aware in recent days of the Tánaiste's home address being circulated among far-right actors on online platforms. A spokesperson for Mr Harris declined to comment on the matter. Earlier this year, the Irish Independent revealed how Mr Harris retained the high-level of security afforded to him while he was taoiseach following a threat assessment by the garda intelligence services.
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