REVEALED: More than half of Irish councillors experience intimidation and harassment

CALLS for an "urgent need" to tackle the "normalising of abuse and harassment of councillors" have been made, as latest survey reveals high figure of reported harassment.

The national representative body for councillors, the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), has released the findings of its latest survey report which sheds light on the prevalence of abuse, threats, and public intimidation experienced by councillors across Ireland. 

Conducted in collaboration with the Crime Management Group (CMG), the online survey reached out to all 949 councillors in the Republic of Ireland.

Over 63% of respondents reported experiencing threats, intimidation, or harassment between April 2021 and September 2023.

Speaking in response to the findings, president of the AILG Cllr Gail Dunne said that the report underscores the "urgent need to tackle the normalising of abuse and harassment of councillors" and to "protect the future of local democracy".

“The report findings demonstrate very little improvement in the rates of abuse and harassment experienced by our members since we conducted our first survey back in 2021.

“It is clear that this issue continues to affect our members’ ability to effectively carry out their role and cause them significant concerns about their own safety and security, and that of their families. We must ensure their safety and wellbeing as they serve our communities.”

The Wicklow based councillor continued by saying that the issue is becoming "more widespread" and has somewhat been "fuelled" by the ongoing housing crisis.

“While our members fully appreciate that they should be challenged and scrutinised as part of their role as public representatives, no councillor should have to face threats to their personal safety or receive threats directed against their families,” Mr Dunne said.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Widespread Incidents: Over 63% of respondents reported experiencing threats, intimidation, or harassment. Almost 26% stated they were currently facing such incidents.
• Nature of Threats: Councillors reported threats of violence, damage to property, death threats, arson, and even threats of sexual violence. More than 38% encountered threats via social media, while almost 33% faced threats in face-to-face encounters.
• Impact on Wellbeing: The survey highlights the significant impact on councillors and their families, with over 56% expressing worry or extreme concern. This stress has led to over 50% considering leaving their roles due to threats and harassment.
  
• Low Prosecution Rates: Despite over 25% of threats being reported to An Garda Síochána, only 3.5% resulted in prosecutions. 

The survey also details various incident types, from campaigns to discredit councillors to more distressing occurrences such as physical attacks and racial abuse.

Cllr Dunne confirmed that as part of several recommendations, the AILG will be engaging with the office of the online safety commissioner, of Coimisiún na Meán, to highlight the particular problem of online abuse towards councillors.

The full report, including detailed findings and recommendations, is available on the AILG website.

The survey had a total of 226 responses, representing a response rate of almost 25% - an increase from the 2021 survey carried out by AILG and CMG.