Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has said he would be in favour of legislation that would ban photographing and recording Gardaí in their line of duty.

His comments came after online threats were allegedly made against a Garda who policed the eviction of squatters from a house on Dublin's North Frederick Street last week.

John Jacob, General Secretary of the AGSI, says: "Photographs taken of Gardaí and published on the internet without their knowledge and consent and for malicious purposes is completely wrong."

"It's a serious concern, and if we can't safeguard our members when that sort of coverage is carried on social media then we're in trouble as a society."

Liam Herrick, Executive Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, says: "If people are publishing material online which includes threats of assault, that's a criminal offence."

"However, what the Minister is talking about is an incredibly disproportionate interference with freedom of the press."

"The real problem here is a lack of clear policies and guidelines."

Nicola Tallant, Investigations Editor with the Sunday World, describes the people who publish this material online as "professional agitators".

"They're putting up stuff, identifying people and inciting hatred and possibly violence against somebody, and that's the kind of stuff that needs to be nailed down."

Nicola feels we need to look at policing social media, as "there's a lawlessness that is allowing people to put things online with absolutely no consequences."

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