Justice minister's family evacuated from home after bomb scare

Justice Minister Helen McEntee’s young family had to be evacuated from their home this week after a late-night bomb threat, EVOKE’s sister paper the Irish Daily Mail has revealed.

Ms McEntee herself was not at home when the two phone threats were made, but her husband and two young children were. There were two separate phone calls, and after the second warning was made to the Samaritans charity shortly before midnight, gardaí decided to remove Minister McEntee’s husband and two boys, who are both under the age of three, from the property.

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Gardaí and Ms McEntee’s protection team regarded the threats with ‘the utmost seriousness’, a security source told the Mail on Friday night. It is understood that Ms McEntee had been at the Dáil on the night in question.

Minister for Justice of Ireland Helen McEntee TD. Pic: Collins

A security source told the Mail: ‘Last week tensions were heightened with anti-immigration protests that eventually led to disturbances in another part of the country, so we didn’t know at first if this was connected.’

They added: ‘With threats against politicians and attacks on politicians on the increase, of course, Garda vigilance is heightened.

‘But there are protocols around bomb threats or any serious threat to ministers, and it was decided it was necessary to exercise the caution of evacuating the family home.’

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD during a press briefing at Government Buildings, Dublin. Pic: Collins

Gardaí are currently investigating the incident at the family’s home in Co. Meath. A thorough search was conducted at Ms McEntee’s home and it is not believed that any explosive device was found. ‘Any person found to have been connected to such serious threats will face a long custodial sentence,’ said a security source.

They also said putting anyone ‘in fear of their life’ is a ‘very grave matter’. ‘There does not appear to have been any dangerous devices, but as anyone can imagine, evacuating two children of such a young age and their father and putting such terror on a family is appalling,’ the source added.

Minister for Justice of Ireland Helen McEntee TD speaking to reporters. Pic: Collins Photos

This is not the first time there have been threats made to Ms McEntee’s home. A convicted rapist made a hoax bomb threat to the minister’s house from the Midlands Prison two years ago, and was only last month told he would spend an additional two years in prison for the offence.

The Mail understands there have been discussions at the highest levels of Government in recent days about the security of politicians.