Irish Examiner view: Online abuse of politicians so undermining

 Tánaiste Leo Varadkar revealed responses to his online activity are around 10% homophobic and 10% racist.

An essential ingredient in any democracy is the capacity to listen to views other than your own, to ensure that any view may be given the oxygen of consideration so it might be embraced or rejected. That is a challenge sometimes underestimated and one on made all the more difficult by toxic online, often anonymous, commentary.

Today we report that politicians of all hues argue that the level of online abuse has become more personalised, vicious and relentless. One example was last week’s statement from Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that responses to his online activity are around 10% homophobic and 10% racist.

This level of personal abuse has convinced people who might make a valuable contribution not to participate. That has many consequences, most of all in the quality of candidates offered to the electorate. It would be naive to imagine that all this abuse is thoughtless invective, not all of it is. A version of that old advice — follow the money — seems appropriate as is the act of encouraging anyone plucky enough, and with high ideals, to enter politics.