Taoiseach ‘pushed and member of Garda hit’ during election canvass in Co Mayo

The Taoiseach was pushed and jostled and a member of the Garda was hit during scenes of “thuggery” on an election canvass in Co Mayo, a Government spokesman has said.

A small number of protesters targeted Simon Harris while he was on the campaign trail in the county on Sunday.

Canvasses were disrupted on visits to both Castlebar and Westport.

A spokesman for Mr Harris called for a full Garda investigation.

“What happened in Mayo today was not protest. It was thuggery,” he said.

“The Taoiseach would like to thank An Garda Siochana for their professionalism. A member of An Garda Siochana was hit during the scenes and the Taoiseach was pushed and jostled by a small number of people.

“It is not representative of what has been a really healthy canvass for the majority of politicians across the country as people in Ireland are decent and law abiding.

“Although it was a very small number of people, today’s behaviour cannot be accepted and should never be normalised and a full Garda investigation should be carried out.

“The people of Mayo were warm and welcoming today and the Taoiseach really enjoyed meeting so many people across much of the county and thanks them for their time.”

Asked about the disturbances earlier on Sunday, Mr Harris said he would not be deterred, insisting “it takes an awful lot to disrupt my energy”.

However, he went on to raise concerns about what he characterised as a growing “toxicity in politics and public life that has been fuelled by a small number of people”.

Mr Harris added: “I don’t think it should be ignored. I think it should be called out.

“It’s why I bristle when people talk about protest because some things are protest and some things are thuggery and I understand the difference and so do most people in this country and they should never be conflated.

“But I think we should continue to amplify the fact that most people in this country are decent.”