Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defended Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan's decision to have a controversial hugging consent video taken down, despite criticism from opposition politicians and a civil rights group.
The video, produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) and funded by the Department of Justice, was removed on Thursday after backlash. Mr O'Callaghan said his department had instructed the DRCC to remove the "inappropriate and demeaning" advertisement.
Taoiseach's Support
Speaking on Friday, Mr Martin backed his Fianna Fáil colleague, agreeing the video was inappropriate. "I think it was inappropriate as an ad, clearly, and did cause offence to quite a number – but I don't think that was intentional," he said.
"I mean, a lot of grandparents would have been taken aback by that ad, if we are honest about it. I think we have to be very careful at how we balance all of this because counter-reactions gain momentum as a result of the situation."
He described criticism of the Justice Minister as a deliberate "political manoeuvre".
Minister's Statement
On Thursday, Mr O'Callaghan took credit for the video's removal, releasing a statement and social media posts. "The video produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre involving grandparents does not represent the views of the Government," he said.
"It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents, and has been removed by DRCC following my official's engagement with them."
He added: "While it is vital to ensure that people understand the concept of consent when it comes to sexual relationships, this video did not advance that aim and in many ways was counterproductive."
Civil Liberties Criticism
The Irish Council of Civil Liberties described the intervention as "unsettling", accusing Mr O'Callaghan of interfering with the work of a non-profit organisation partly funded by his department.
The group said "this worrying sequence of events" shows how State funding can "create pressure on civil society organisations to limit their advocacy and campaigning". It added: "Episodes like this risk creating a pervasive chilling effect and self-censorship within civil society, a risk we outlined in our report."
Social Democrats justice spokesman Gary Gannon accused the minister of setting a "dangerous precedent" and creating a "pile-on" of the DRCC. "It makes me deeply uncomfortable that the Minister for Justice has used his Twitter account to create an online pile-on of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre," he said.
Video Content and Response
The video showed grandparents arriving at a home, where they are enthusiastically embraced by their grandson. Another child looks uncomfortable when the older woman approaches for a hug and attempts to give her a kiss. Text on screen reads: "Not everyone wants a hug. Even from the people who love them."
The video, and two others in the We-Consent campaign, were removed after online criticism. The DRCC said the videos were based on feedback from over 20 consent workshops with younger and older people.
A spokesperson said: "We do not want that negativity to impinge on and distract from the vital work that we as a centre do in supporting victims and survivors and improving awareness of these important issues across society."
