The Lord Mayor of Dublin has said it is time to call people out online who are engaged in racial abuse.

Hazel Chu responded to a "racist Tweet" which was sent to her yesterday containing an order for a Chinese takeaway.

She replied saying "we don't serve racists or trolls" and wrote that she publicised the message to show that we need to stand up to racists.

Speaking on Lunchtime Live today, Lord Mayor Chu said she often receives several abusive messages every day online.

She said: "Over the last few days, there was a variety of trolls and tweets over stuff, I get it daily, I get anything from one to 20 each day talking about me.

"They're usually not about my policies or my work, not criticising those, but criticising my appearance, my skin colour, my background.

"In the last two days, one was about weight and yesterday one was oddly in the middle of the night someone putting in a Chinese food order asking specifically for no bats.

"It's stuff that happened before but I wasn't about to let it go.

"It was someone who as running for election previously so I thought if you're a public figure then you shouldn't be saying something like that.

"I myself, who is also a public figure and the Lord Mayor of the city, didn't think that me or anyone should receive content like that.

"I reposted a very friendly reply saying, look we don't accept orders from racists or trolls and when you've learned some manners perhaps we will accept your order then, thank you so much and good you're laying off the bats.

"It was a gentle but clear reply that people are being rude.

"If people are going to come at you like that, then they need to be prepared to be called out, I'm not going to stand idly by."

THREAD: Since there's no immediate result on the US Election & I seem to be trending lets talk about the reason for the trending-RACISM. Some quick fires on the topic.

1)I call it out not to give it oxygen but if you're going to have the audacity to come at me, don't expect me

— Hazel Chu (@hazechu) November 4, 2020

Lord Mayor Chu said she doesn't respond to or publicise every bad message she receives, but every so often she does "to highlight what's coming through".

She said: "There are lots of people who will get comments like these and who will get discriminated and the reason I highlighted it was to say, this isn't on and this isn't the Ireland I love and grew up with.

"I think female politicians get it a lot so I think I get it a bit extra for my ethnicity.

"It's also because people think it's fair game...and it's ok because it's online."

Lord Mayor Chu added that it is time to call people out who are engaged in racial abuse.

She said: "It is hard to call somebody out in person because I think a lot of people say, oh it's not my business, I don't want to interfere.

"We're not into the discrimination in the same way as we see it in the States or the UK.

"But the more we don't do anything about it, the more it will get worse."