A bomb threat made against the home of the Taoiseach shows young people are being 'radicalised' though content on social media, the Health Minister has said.
Stephen Donnelly was speaking after the threat was made against the Taoiseach's family home in County Wicklow on Wednesday.
A phone call using a code-word was made to the Samaritans helpline claiming a device had been planted at the property.
Simon Harris' wife and young children were home at the time but Gardaí say they didn't have to be evacuated and nothing was found during a follow up search.
The incident is now being treated as a hoax.
Minister Donnelly told Newstalk Breakfast people are getting influenced by what they see online.
"It's deeply sinister and it's part of a growing pattern of threats being made against elected representatives," he said.
"There are many facets to this; I think one of the ones that is most important is the online discourse.
"It's horrific, it's getting worse and just as worryingly there is a real radicalisation of people going on."
Minister Donnelly said young men are particularly vulnerable.
"We have data coming in from around the world, particularly young men, we're seeing a growing divergence between social views of young women and young men," he said.
"Young women around the world are actually becoming more liberal, young men are becoming more conservative."
'Dreadful content' on social media
Minister Donnelly said new Dublin Rape Crisis Centre figures, showing its helpline recorded the highest-ever number of calls last year, are also concerning.
More than 18,600 contacts were made to the organisation in 2023.
Minister Donnelly said there has to be a 'zero-tolerance' approach with social media companies.
"We need to be very aware that a lot of the social media platforms are feeding young men - on a hour by hour basis - a dreadful load of content glorifying rape, glorifying sexual violence, glorifying misogyny," he said.
"Any young person in secondary school, if you ask them who Andrew Tate is, they'll know.
"For my money I see it in the mental health services, where demand is going up and up, a lot of it is being fuelled by what's happening on social media.
"My view is very clear: we need to take a zero-tolerance approach with the social media companies".
Protests outside homes
Asked if legislation is needed to remove protestors from near politicians homes, Minister Donnelly said his view has changed.
"If you'd asked me that question six months ago I would have said no," he said.
"We do live in a liberal democracy, people must have the right to protest - and any time you infringe on that you have to be very, very careful.
"But what we've seen more recently is not just protests outside people's homes but is people turning up with balaclavas.
"I think at this point we have a conversation about if groups of people turn up outside anybody's home wearing balaclavas, for example, in our country that has a very clear connotation."
Minister Donnelly added that such action is "a direct threat, it is direct harassment."
The Children’s Rights Alliance has said the 'unrestricted run' of big technology companies needs to come to an end with a priority on online safety.
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