'The Hard Shoulder' presenter Ivan Yates has spoken about his experience with abuse as a politician.
"People said to me: Ivan, get a grip.
"People think that politicians are something that should be wiped off their shoe - if you're not able for the heat, get out of the kitchen.
"I had to teach myself to have a rhinoceros-like skin and it was a learning curve I had to go through.
"Is my experience as a man completely different?".
"People said to me: 'We don't want an Orange b***ard representing Wexford' - I was told that straight up by people - but I just laughed it off".
"I had to teach myself to have a rhinoceros-like skin..." Ivan is giving his reaction now on @NewstalkFM to reports that today's politicians, particularly female, are subjected to abuse and threats.
— IvanYatesNT (@IvanYatesNT) November 14, 2019
It comes after a number of female politicians revealed to Newstalk that the abuse aimed at them has included threats of rape and death.
Deputy leader of The Green Party, Catherine Martin said she made a complaint to Gardaí in 2014 after one threat.
Fianna Fáil's Anne Rabbitte said she left her home for a week, after getting threatening phone calls in the middle of the night.
She said a caller told her: 'We know where you are, we will come and get you'.
She said "it took a week" until she got the confidence back to return home with her two daughters.
Hazel Chu is a Green Party Councillor on Dublin City Council.
She told Ivan she believes women do get more abuse then their male counterparts.
"I do think it and we have the stats to back it up, actually".
She quoted a 2018 Amnesty International report, which found that female politicians get abuse every 30 seconds on Twitter, "and this is a fact", she added.
She said she has also been threatened on social media, as well as calls, to tell her not run in the next election and "to watch myself and what I say".
"I think that's because I am a woman and I also happen to be a politician as well".
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty agreed that women get more abuse, but suggested to Ivan: "I also think that maybe we take it in a bit more than the lads do".
"I certainly have got threats by phone and e-mail as well".
But she said: "Unfortunately the stuff gets in - so there's only so many times people can slap you on the face before it starts to hurt."
"I've gone through the other side where it's water off a ducks back, to the point of things that potentially could be serious I kind of think 'Jaysus they're all mad' - and you ignore it, and that's not probably good either".
Councillor Chu said: "You're prepared to know that you will have criticism - you accept that they will criticise you on your work, on your policies, on your party.
"But you do not accept, and you should not accept, that they are gong to criticise you on your physicality, on your skin colour, on the the fact that you're female."
Minister Doherty said: "I give as good as I get... [but] people sending you messages that they're going to rape you, that they're going to burn your house down with your kids in it, that's not normal discourse, that's madness.
"And it's not acceptable".
