An Irish advert urging grandparents to ask their grandchildren for consent before hugging them has been suspended after the country's justice minister branded the video "inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents".
The video, produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) as part of its We-Consent programme, shows a teenage girl appearing uncomfortable as her grandparents attempt to greet her with an embrace at the front door. It ends with a narrator saying: "Not everyone wants a hug. Even from the people who love them. Awkward? Maybe. Important? Absolutely."
Minister Criticises Campaign
The campaign was pulled from social media following widespread criticism, with Ireland's Department of Justice confirming the videos had been removed while the organisation reviews them. Jim O'Callaghan, Ireland's justice minister, criticised the advert, saying it did not reflect the Government's position.
"It goes without saying that having loving grandparents in a child's life is an incredibly positive thing to be cherished, not something to be campaigned against," he wrote on X. Mr O'Callaghan described the video as "inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents" and said it "does not represent the views of the government".
Public Criticism and Defence
The campaign prompted complaints over the use of public money, with critics questioning whether an advert about family hugs was appropriate for a rape crisis centre. Alan Shatter, a former Fine Gael politician who served as Ireland's justice and equality minister between 2011 and 2014, described the advert as "Halloweenesque, disgusting, ageist".
Gavin Pepper, a Dublin councillor, also criticised the campaign, calling for "a bit of common sense" and accusing the Government and non-governmental organisations of "losing the run of themselves". He said the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren was among the most important bonds in family life. "A hug from a loving grandparent should not be presented as something strange or suspicious," he wrote on Facebook.
Supporters and Removal
However, Lorraine Hall, a Fine Gael councillor, defended the advert, arguing that critics were taking its message too literally. "Embarrassed for all the people that think that this is a literal rather than a figurative message, and have forgotten that advertising creativity is a thing," she wrote on X. "Oh yes … and also to state the obvious – advertising does work."
The video was also shared on X by far-Right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and Graham Linehan, the creator of Father Ted and campaigner for single-sex spaces. The advert has since disappeared from the online platforms of both We-Consent and the DRCC.
Department Statement
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, the Department of Justice said We-Consent was created and developed by the DRCC to inform, educate and engage the public about all forms of consent. It said the social media videos were produced by the centre at low cost using volunteers and were not part of a government advertising campaign. The department added that it understood the DRCC intended to review the videos, which had been removed from its social media channels to allow that process to take place.
