Threats and intimidation towards public representatives undermine democracy, Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman has said after a group of protesters wearing masks gathered outside his home last night.
Gardaí said they maintained a presence until the group - some of whom were carrying anti-migration placards - dispersed. No arrests were made.
"I want to thank local gardaí in Blanchardstown for their assistance yesterday," Mr O'Gorman said.
"Ireland has a strong democratic tradition, where public representatives are accessible and accountable to the public.
"We debate and sometimes disagree, but do so in a way that is fundamentally respectful.
"I know that is valued by people across this country and it is valued by politicians too.
"Threats and intimidation towards publicly elected representatives and those seeking election will undermine those essential qualities of Irish democracy.
"If we were to lose those, we would lose something very dear and not easily recovered."
In response to the protest, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris told senior officers that erecting posters and signs at politicians' homes can constitute a form of harassment, threatening behaviour and abusive conduct and that it was imperative gardaí protect citizens from such behaviour.
In a directive issued tonight, Mr Harris stressed that gardaí have the legal power to arrest and detain people and it was incumbent on them to respond to these protests appropriately and adequately.
He said that the wearing of balaclavas in particular has potentially sinister overtures in Ireland and should inform the garda's response to such behaviour.
He also said gardaí need to have regard to the impact that the targeting of politicians' homes has, not just on the householders but also on their families, neighbours and vulnerable people.
The legal powers gardaí have under the Public Order Act, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act and other legislation are critical components in keeping people safe, said Mr Harris.
He also told assistant commissioners, chief superintendents and superintendents that gardaí had a duty to investigate these incidents thoroughly.
Mr Harris said he appreciated the vile abuse that gardaí were being subjected to and understood that fine judgements were required in dealing with these protests.
'Privacy abused in most vile way'
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that Mr O'Gorman and his husband have had their privacy "abused in the most vile and the most repulsive way".
"To have banners, to have such vile abuse put on his home and to have people standing outside with balaclavas, this was in no way a protest, this was in no way peaceful, this was intimidating, and this type of behaviour cannot be accepted," she said.
Speaking on RTÉ Six One, Ms McEntee said she believes his property was "trespassed on".
Ms McEntee said she spoke to the Garda Commissioner over what she called a "disgusting" situation and that she called for "every arm" of An Garda Síochána be used.
"Whether it is legislation around public order, whether it is legislation around harassment, whether it is around trespassing that these levers need to be used," she said.
"This cannot be tolerated," she added.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he feels "deeply uncomfortable" that such a situation was allowed to develop outside somebody's home.
Mr Harris described the incident as "extraordinarily chilling, disturbing and quite frankly disturbing" when speaking to the media in Co Carlow.
"I spoke to Minister O’Gorman about this situation this morning," the Taoiseach said.
"I was utterly horrified to see this situation. We all recognise the right to protest in a democracy but when you see masked people gathering outside somebody’s family home, I think that’s extraordinarily chilling, disturbing and quite frankly disgusting," he added.
Mr Harris said gardaí have to assess such situations, and so he as Taoiseach did not wish to interfere in that.
"However, I feel deeply uncomfortable that this situation was allowed to develop outside the home of any person, public figure or otherwise, government or opposition, and I hope in due course to have an opportunity to discuss this with the gardaí."
He said it was "chilling" to see an increase in the presence of people gathering outside people's family homes.
"I think it is worrying, I think it is concerning. Of course we see political debate and discourse but there is an appropriate way to debate and raise issues. We do it in the Dáil, in council chambers."
There are plenty of areas to protest around Dáil Éireann or constituency offices, Mr Harris said, adding that he did not want to suggest that those people, while small in number, speak for Ireland.
"My experience as a public representative, at a whole variety of levels in this country, has been that the vast majority of people, agree or disagree with your politics, are decent people," Mr Harris said.
Asked if he thought gardaí should be doing more to prevent such situations arising, he said he is always reluctant to "rush to blame the gardaí" in such cases.
"The gardaí operate in a very difficult and challenging environment and the gardaí respond to dynamic situations in real time," Mr Harris said.
"My own experience, both at a personal capacity and my experience as Taoiseach and a former minister for justice, is that the gardaí take these matters very seriously."
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Green Party chair, Senator Pauline O'Reilly said: "I think that when there is a threat to democracy, it is a threat to everybody, not just politicians, and I think we do need to be really conscious of that.
"If you want to make a point, why not go outside Leinster house?"
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said intimidation and harassment of politicians "must be met with a robust policing response" and that the home of People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has been similarly targeted.
"When incidents like this happen, there cannot be a 'softly, softly' police response," Ms Cairns said.
"That approach is emboldening those who are targeting, not just ministers and TDs, but vulnerable migrants and minority communities.
"The Minister for Justice must now outline what the Garda Commissioner proposes to do to address this type of harassment and prevent it becoming more widespread."
Also speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny added: "The people who are responsible for this are a very small group of people who organise online.
"They are devious, they are intimidating, they spew out all of their hate and they organise and they bring small groups of people together.
"They are very loud and hateful and horrible towards anyone; it is not just towards politicians."
Additional reporting by Paul Reynolds
