Sinn Féin housing spokesman under fire over altered eviction painting tweet
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Justice Minister Simon Harris and Garda representatives have strongly criticised an altered eviction painting posted by Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Éoin Ó Broin.
The artwork which inserted gardaí into a famine-time eviction scene was posted by Mr Ó Broin on Twitter over the weekend, with the caption "no words needed".
The post has sparked a strong response, including from Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) general secretary Antoinette Cunningham
who said it was “deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate” from an elected representative.
She added that it was “insultingly wrong” to portray Garda colleagues in this manner.
While he did not refer to Mr Ó Broin by name, Mr Harris also hit out at the post.
He said the social media post "by a leading member of the main opposition party" has shown what Sinn Féin "really thinks of the Gardaí".
Mr Harris added: "The mask slips. It’s offensive, inappropriate and disrespectful to the men and women of An Garda Síochána.”
The image posted by Mr Ó Broin was a reworked painting originally produced by renowned Cork artist Daniel MacDonald.
The original 1850s picture, now held in Cork's Crawford Gallery, features a number of bailiffs in top hats evicting a peasant family from their thatched cottage.
The altered picture superimposes seven men, some of whom wear high-vis vests, and others who have stab jackets and balaclavas that carry the Garda emblem.
The work by artist Mála Spíosraí was inspired by an eviction on Dublin's Frederick St and was completed in March 2021.
Mr Harris, who is due to attend the AGSI conference on Monday, is expected to lay out a range of measures he is implementing to support members of the force who have seen the number of assaults against them increase.
He will also use his address to strongly criticise Sinn Féin for increasing the risk of aggression towards gardaí through inaccurate and provocative posts on social media.
Mr Ó Broin had not taken down the post on Sunday night. Sinn Féin was contacted for a comment.