'If this activity is not nipped in the bud, it will deter people from entering politics'

People urged to report abusive phonecalls and online abuse to gardaí

POLITICIANS and members of the public who receive abusive phone calls have been encouraged to report them immediately to the Gardaí.

Garda Superintendent Pat O’Connell told last week’s meeting of the County Monaghan Local Community Safety Partnership that gardaí will investigate all such incidents to determine if criminal offences have occurred and take the appropriate action if an offence has been established.

The LCSP condemned a spate of abusive anonymous calls to female politicians across the country highlighted in media reports on the morning of the meeting after the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), a representative body for local councillors, lodged a complaint with the Gardaí.

Referring to the media coverage, Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) said AILG Head of Operations Elaine Lynch has highlighted that women politicians and their families are being targeted by vicious online and telephone abuse and the Gardaí have been informed of this.

“I don’t mind robust debate,” Cllr Keelan told the meeting, “and people challenging my politics and decisions, but when it gets personalised and vicious it can’t continue and there has to be zero tolerance. I would like to know where the tipping point is between robust debate and vicious, personalised and threatening remarks.”

The Carrickmacross-based councillor referred to “the three fantastic women” who are his colleagues on Monaghan County Council, and the efforts by the Monaghan Women’s Assembly to encourage more female participation in local politics in the county.

Cllr Sinéad Flynn (SF), who chairs the Monaghan Women’s Assembly, explained how it appears that several months ago an individual started making abusive calls to a number of female councillors in the Dublin area from private and withheld numbers. This has now spread to numerous female councillors across Ireland.

Cllr Flynn said she has also received calls from private and withheld numbers but it is her policy not to answer such calls.

LCSP chairperson Cllr Alan Johnston (FG) said such abuse is very unfortunate, especially for female representatives. They want to see more participation by women in public life and every organisation, and it is unacceptable for people who serve the public to get viciously attacked in this way. If this activity is relentless it can be very hurtful and its impacts are often hidden.

“If this activity is not nipped in the bud, it will deter people from entering politics,” Cllr Johnston warned.

Ursula McKenna, Co-ordinator of Monaghan Women’s Collective Ireland – Monaghan, described the reports of female politicians being abused in this way as very worrying. Ireland hasn’t enough women politicians, she stated, which leaves the country with a strange democracy and without a sufficiently feminist approach to decision-making.

“This abuse is definitely impacting on women thinking about entering politics,” Ms McKenna added. “It is something that is very concerning. Online platforms are becoming very scary spaces.”

Superintendent O’Connell said he wants to make it very clear that anyone finding themselves in this situation should report the matter to An Garda Síochána. Any report of online or telephone abuse will be assessed to determine if a criminal offence is disclosed and will be investigated actively.

The Superintendent added that some people appear to apply different standards to social media and appear to take free licence there. The Gardaí are also often the subject of inaccurate online information.

“Anyone not happy with the service they get from the Gardaí have forums to deal with their complaints,” he pointed out, “and can address complaints directly with local Garda management.”

Superintendent O’Connell said the Gardaí in Monaghan have a number of investigations ongoing in relation to private individuals affected by this type of abusive activity. It can be a difficult process to identify people who used fake accounts and addresses, he added, but there are ways to make progress.