The negative influence of social media – including the proliferation of fake videos – has caused such stress and pressures to public representatives that it is now undermining the democratic process, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.
Mr Martin said it has become very challenging for people to run in elections, particularly for women.
“I know from talking to new TDs and people who were in politics in the last five to six years, it is very challenging. It is 24/7, and the onset of social media has had implications – including (the use of) appalling fake videos.
“Increasingly that’s creating a pressure and stress on public representatives and those running for election, which is undermining the whole democratic and electoral process,” he said.
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Mr Martin was speaking to the media on the final day of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He was referring to an interview in a Sunday newspaper with the TV presenter Gráinne Seoige, who described her decision to stand for Fianna Fáil in Galway West as the worst of in her life.
Mr Martin said he understood where she was coming from and said the fact that elections were becoming more challenging for people to contest was an issue for Irish democracy more broadly.
“I think more generally, we’ve got to look at the pressures that are on politics and on politicians and on public representatives, and we have to consistently look at the supports that are available to encourage people to become involved ... and to navigate the challenges of the modern era, which are quite serious.”
Mr Martin dismissed any suggestion that Fine Gael leader Simon Harris would have any difficulties fulfilling his duties as Tánaiste and party leader while also in the role of Minister for Finance.
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“He is the most experienced member of the Fine Gael cabinet. He would have gone through the last budget with myself, Jack Chambers, Paschal (Donohoe) and (Independent TD) Seán Canney at the leaders’ meetings.
“Budgets, because of the nature of coalition governments, have to be a collective exercise. There has to be one where all three pillars to the coalition government have inputs, and have to get buy-in and agreement and sign off.”
He said the fact that two Fianna Fáil representatives and one Fine Gael person attended that meeting was immaterial as everything was agreed by consensus.
The G20 summit concludes on Sunday, after which the Taoiseach will travel to Angola’s capital Luanda where an EU and African Union summit will take place on Monday and Tuesday.
After he left the G20 conference centre on the outskirts of Johannesburg, the Taoiseach visited Mandela House in Soweto. He also laid a wreath at the monument to Hector Pieterson, the 12-year old schoolboy shot dead by police during the Soweto riots in 1976.
