The Taoiseach has backed Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan for getting a controversial hugging consent video taken down, despite backlash from the opposition.
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video → back → opposition
A social media video about children’s consent to receiving hugs from grandparents which was produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) was taken down on Thursday after receiving criticism.
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which → receive → criticism
Mr O’Callaghan said his department, which funded the video, told DRCC to take the “inappropriate and demeaning” ad down.
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which → say → ad
On Friday, Mícheál Martin backed his Fianna Fáil colleague, agreeing with him that the video was inappropriate.
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video → back → him
“I don’t believe the ad was appropriate at all.
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ad → believe → ?
I think it was misfocused,” he said.
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he → think → ?
“I think it was inappropriate as an ad, clearly, and did cause offence to quite a number.
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it → think → number
But I don’t think that was intentional.
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that → think → ?
“I mean, a lot of grandparents would have been taken aback by that ad, if we are honest about it.
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we → mean → 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.”
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reactions → think → situation
He added that criticism of Mr O’Callaghan was a deliberate “political manoeuvre”.
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criticism → add → O’Callaghan
He said: “I think there’s been some other political parties are endeavouring to create a broader narrative around that specific ad, which I don’t think holds up either.
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I → say → ad
“I think Minister O’Callaghan was quite in his right to clarify that, and to make it clear that this was not something that Government had approved of.
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Government → think → that
On Thursday, Mr O’Callaghan took some credit for the video being taken down, releasing a statement and publishing social media posts to that regard.
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O’Callaghan → take → regard
“The video produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre involving grandparents does not represent the views of the Government,” he said in the statement.
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he → produce → statement
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“It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my official’s engagement with them.
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It → read → them
It goes without saying that having loving grandparents in a child’s life is an incredibly positive thing to be cherished and not something to be campaigned against.
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having → go → life
“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.”
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video → ensure → ways
But the move was criticised by Social Democrats justice spokesman Gary Gannon, who accused the minister of setting a “dangerous precedent” and creating a “pile-on” of the DRCC.
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who → criticise → DRCC
Mr Gannon said: “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.
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Minister → say → Centre
“It also appears to me a dangerous precedent that this minister, and his department, have instructed the Rape Crisis Centre to remove content that he disapproved of.
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he → appear → that
“It should never be controversial to teach children about consent.
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It → teach → consent
That should start at a young age, it should begin in the home.”
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it → start → home
Responding to Mr Gannon’s criticism, the Taoiseach said on Friday: “I think that was very wrong, of Gary.
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that → respond → Gary
“The pile-on was out long before Minister O’Callaghan spoke at all.
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O’Callaghan → speak → ?
I think there was kind of an instant reaction to it.
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I → think → it
“That’s just the way it is.
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it → ’ → ?
We live in a very febrile world, and particularly with the onset of social media.”
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We → live → media
The video showed grandparents arriving at a home, where they are enthusiastically embraced by their grandson.
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they → show → grandson
Another child at the door looks uncomfortable when the older woman approaches for a hug and attempts to give her a kiss.
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woman → look → kiss
The video then cuts to text on screen reading: “Not everyone wants a hug.
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everyone → cut → hug
Even from the people who love them
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who → love → them
It continues: “Awkward?
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It → continue → ?
We-Consent.ie is here to help.”
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We-Consent.ie → help → ?
The video, and two others in the We-Consent campaign, were removed after the grandparent clip in particular was criticised online and by politicians.
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clip → remove → politicians
It was funded through Cuan, Ireland’s statutory agency for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence set up by Fine Gael TD Helen McEntee when she was the justice minister.
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she → fund → McEntee
Speaking on Thursday, she said Cuan was established to support the victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, which should have been the focus of the campaign.
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which → speak → campaign
“I think it is absolutely essential that we have a very open and a very honest conversation on consent, particularly when the epidemic of domestic and sexual violence, sexual assault, it is still here,” she said.
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she → think → violence
“It is still with us, and there is so much work that we need to do.
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we → be → that
But I think that should be our focus when we’re talking about consent campaigns.
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we → think → campaigns
…and 9 more, not listed.
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