Irish Examiner view: Social media platforms allow hate and harassment fester

Senator Micheál Carrigy's case is the latest example of the kind of appalling abuse that tech giants profit from

Senator Micheál Carrigy received messages — online and via his phone — threatening him and his family. Picture: Maxwells

Details of  the harassment of Longford-based senator Micheál Carrigy emerged in recent court proceedings, and to say they make for horrifying reading is an understatement.

Senator Carrigy told the court that his harasser had threatened to attack him and his family at home, as well as leaving voicemails stating his children would be sterilised. 

David Larkin, the man convicted of the harassment, was given a five-month prison sentence — but the sentence was suspended for 18 months.  

Senator Carrigy was critical of the judge’s decision, saying: 

If you’re a good boy for 18 months, you’ll get away with it, that’s what it means. 

Terrorising people in their homes is an offence that surely deserves sharper punishment than a deferred slap across the wrists.

Such a verdict will hardly encourage others who experience similar harassment to come forward, as Senator Carrigy said. Quite apart from disappointment with the verdict, drawn-out trials are another disincentive for victims — who are being forced to relive traumatic experiences over and over in court.

Senator Carrigy was loud in his praise of the gardaí for their support, but made another salient point about their involvement in unnecessarily lengthy cases: Instead of patrolling the streets, gardaí are being tied down with court appearances. This robs the force of valuable personnel where they are most needed.

Legislative change, streamlined trials, and more judges would help this situation — though one problem has been stubbornly resistant to change.

Mr Carrigy was critical of social media company Meta for not taking a stronger line on the abuse of public figures on its platforms. 

Meta Ireland admitted that it allows a “higher level of criticism” for public figures on its platforms, compared with ordinary citizens.

“Higher level of criticism” can be shortened to “abuse”, pure and simple.

It could hardly be clearer that such social media companies are content to allow hate and harassment to fester on their platforms, if it serves their bottom line. It would be difficult to find a sharper image of our dystopian present.

Ifac report: Will we repeat past mistakes?

The Christmas trees are winking in windows all over Ireland and, right on cue, a Grinch appears.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) popped up earlier this week to douse the Government’s Budget 2024 plans in cold water. 

Finance Minister Michael McGrath with Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell and Tech Industry Alliance (TIA) chairman Gerry Murphy at the TAI Leaders Awards. Mr McGrath made a nuanced response to Ifac's critique of Budget 2024. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

Ifac’s key point in its budget assessment report was that the Government runs the risk of overheating the economy with large post-covid budgets.

Ifac stated: “The ‘everything now’ approach of tax cuts, a ramp-up in capital spending, and current spending increases [the chances of repeating] Ireland’s past mistakes. 

It entails using strong tax receipts in good times to expand the budget quickly at the risk of adding to price pressures, getting bad value for money, and potentially having to reverse measures in a downturn. 

“Past mistakes” and “downturn” are code words for the post-Celtic Tiger crash, and their deployment means Ifac may have ascended to true Scrooge status: Nothing is more likely to send chills up the Irish spine than a reminder of the economic collapse which followed the high times of the early 2000s.

However, the warnings which were made at that time were largely ignored. This begs the question: Is this the first indication of a coming gale?

The report is a tricky challenge for the Government because confidence and momentum are more significant factors in economic success than might be imagined; gloom and doom about future finances can become self-fulfilling prophecies if not countered quickly.

It was interesting, therefore, to see Finance Minister Michael McGrath’s response. 

He said he respected Ifac and would study the report, but added that the decision to increase capital expenditure will go towards alleviating capacity constraints by building “more homes, schools, healthcare facilities, [and] transport infrastructure”.

McGrath’s points are well made — capital development when the exchequer is healthy is important — but Ifac’s criticisms cannot be dismissed out of hand either.

Vote of confidence in Scannáin as Gaeilge

Historic news for the State’s first official language from Utah, of all places. The Sundance Film Festival will host the world premiere of Irish language film,  Kneecap, next month.

Belfast rappers Kneecap — Naoise Ó Cairealáin (Móglaí Bap), DJ Próvaí, and Mo Chara — are about to make their debut at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival courtesy of the film telling their origin story. Picture: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/The New York Times

The origin story of the groundbreaking Belfast rap trio of the same name, Kneecap, will be screened on the festival’s opening night, January 18, as part of Sundance’s Next strand of “pure, bold works”. It is the first non-US film to be selected for the Next section.

Kneecap comes hot on the heels of the success of An Cailín Ciúin, which drew rave reviews last year and became the first Irish-language film to be submitted in the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards.

The diversity of the subject matter in both films — one a tale of musicians breaking new ground in rap, the other a contemplative study of a young girl in rural Ireland — is also significant. It shows that using Irish as the language of a film is no limit to the range of subjects.

Having Kneecap featured so prominently at such a prestigious festival is also a vote of confidence in the Irish film industry as a whole, of course, and dovetails with the multiple Oscar nominations received by The Banshees of Inisherin. In English or in Irish, the future looks bright for Ireland and Irish artists on the big screen.