Taoiseach rejects claims justice minister fuelled ‘pile-on’ over hugging grandparents ad

The Taoiseach said the advertisement caused offence but was not intended to do so, as questions were raised over ministerial intervention

The video shows two grandparents arriving at a house. One grandson is happy to receive a hug, while his sister expresses discomfort.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defended justice minister Jim O’Callaghan’s intervention in the “hugging grandparents” controversy, insisting he did not lead a “pile-on” against the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

The centre removed an online advertisement about children giving consent and setting boundaries before being hugged following widespread backlash and an intervention by Mr O’Callaghan and the Department of Justice.

The video shows two grandparents arriving at a house. One grandson is happy to receive a hug, while his sister expresses discomfort.

“Not everyone wants a hug,” the video says.

“Even from the people who love them. Awkward? Maybe. Important? Absolutely.” 

The video later directs viewers to a website about consent.

Mr O’Callaghan confirmed on Thursday that the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had taken down the video following engagement with the Department of Justice. He described it as “demeaning” to grandparents and insisted it did not represent the Government’s views.

Speaking in Monaghan, the Taoiseach said that while people should not lose sight of the good work done by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the advertisement was “inappropriate” and “misfocused”.

“I think we need to move on from it now,” he said.

“There’s been some other political parties endeavouring to create a broader narrative around that specific ad, which I don't think holds up either, you know.

“It was unfortunate what has happened. 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.”

Dispute over minister’s intervention

Gary Gannon, the Social Democrats’ justice spokesman, questioned Mr O’Callaghan and the Department of Justice’s intervention, suggesting the minister had created a “pile-on”.

“It also appears to me to be a dangerous precedent that this minister, and his department, have instructed the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre to remove content that he disapproved of,” he added.

The Taoiseach criticised Mr Gannon’s comments, saying they were “very wrong out of Gary”.

“The pile out was out long before Minister O’Callaghan spoke at all,” Mr Martin continued.

“I think there was a kind of an instant reaction to it. That's just the way it is. We live in a very febrile world, and particularly with the onset of social media.” 

Asked whether it was appropriate for Mr O’Callaghan to intervene, Mr Martin said the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre receives funding from the Department of Justice.

He argued that Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín and others were “blaming the government deliberately as a political manoeuvre by them”, despite the Government not being responsible for the advertisement.

“I think Minister O'Callaghan was quite in his rights to clarify that and to make it clear that this was not something that Government had approved of,” the Taoiseach said.

“A lot of grandparents would have been taken back by that ad, if we are honest about it. And I and I think we have to be very careful at how we balance all of this because counter reactions gain momentum as a result of situations like this.”