'Overblown': Half of emails Harris received over Kanturk incident were ive

Ken Foxe

Tánaiste Simon Harris received a barrage of emails after a viral incident where he was confronted by a carer in Kanturk during the election campaign.

However, at least half of the correspondence sent to the Department of the Taoiseach ed him with some people saying it had been “overblown”.

Others took issue with how Mr Harris handled the incident with one saying the Fine Gael leader had “dug [his] own grave” during the encounter.

One carer wrote of how they had ired the Taoiseach but had changed the way they intended to vote because of the video.

They said: “[All it needed was] a quiet moment listening to that lady, looking in her eyes and saying, ‘I care’.

“I think you mistook her tone for something perhaps akin to grievance. I didn't. Because I heard her.”

Another wrote of how the incident had been “blown out of all proportion” trying to claim the Taoiseach had been set up.

Their email said: “Most people with a jot of sense will see the incident for what it really was rather than what social and mainstream media have made it out to be.”

One person said Mr Harris had been “doing great” and they had been caught out in similar situations.

An email said: “My opinion is Fine Gael disability services strategy should be clearly verbalised by all this week.

“I hear Michael Martin [sic] on about it this morning and you should use the opportunity each time someone brings it back up [to] use it to get another 100 votes.”

Another said they felt “very sorry” for how the Taoiseach had been treated despite the work he had done for people with disabilities and their families.

I hope you have an overwhelming victory over the begrudgers and whiners.

The parent, who had a son with disabilities, wrote: “I hope you have an overwhelming victory over the begrudgers and whiners.”

One person said the incident had shown Mr Harris’ “true colours”. “Arrogant and incompetent, you won’t be getting my vote,” they said.

A carer said that he had shown “animosity” towards people who work in disability.

They wrote: “The disregard you have shown for the lifeblood of this country is despicable. I’ve been a carer my whole life and you know who has made our lives worse? Fine Gael.”

Another email said the concerns raised during the viral incident should have been “raised properly by appointment.”

“You are doing an amazing job,” said the message. “The lady in Cork had no right to speak to you as she did.”

One voter said they wanted to know more about the Taoiseach’s apology and what they said was a “complete disrespect and disinterest” towards marginalised communities.

Their email said: “When confronted with difficult questions from the people you govern your response was to just walk away. Is that your attitude to difficult problems in the Irish country as well?”

Another recommended that Mr Harris get a “happy photo” with the person involved and get it “on the front of every newspaper”.

“That will be the end of it and no more apologising,” said the message.

'Mask slipping'

One person said it showed that the “mask was slipping” while another said they were sorry for the way he had been “ambushed".

The Department of the Taoiseach said they had received thirty-three pieces of correspondence from the public, of which seven were withheld because they contained a high level of information around somebody’s personal circumstances.

The Kanturk video exchange was a major stumble in Mr Harris’ general election campaign running up hundreds and thousands of

views across social media.
There was also controversy over Fine Gael’s with broadcaster RTÉ after the clip was broadcast and posted online.