Irish Public Awareness Campaign Pulled Following Backlash Over Grandparent Hug Video

A public service video urging grandparents to ask their young relatives for consent before giving them a hug has been pulled off social media following widespread political pushback in Ireland.

The controversial clip was released in September as part of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s (DRCC) long-term “We-Consent” initiative. Designed to highlight personal boundaries from an early age, the video depicted grandparents greeting two grandchildren. One child accepted a hug, while the second declined. Over the scene, a narrator observed: “Not everyone wants a hug, even from the people who love them. Awkward? Maybe. Important? Absolutely.”

Political Backlash and Government Response

The video quickly triggered criticism from Irish lawmakers, leading to its withdrawal after discussions between officials and the organization. Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan of the Fianna Fáil party, whose department funded the broader campaign, confirmed the decision, stating that the video “doesn’t represent the views of the Government.”

“It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my officials engagement with them,” O’Callaghan said. He added that while understanding consent in sexual relationships is vital, the video failed to advance that message and proved counterproductive.

Politicians from across the governing coalition also voiced strong objections to the public funding spent on the effort. Senator Gareth Scahill of the Fine Gael party called the clip a waste of public funds and questioned the logic behind the message.

“What’s concerning here’s public money has been used to fund an ad which, at best, has been ill-thought out, and at worst is offensive and potentially damaging to our older population,” Scahill remarked. He noted that while consent advocacy remains key, the video was “a million miles off the mark,” asking sarcastically whether families would soon need consent forms at arrival halls in Dublin, Shannon, Knock. And Cork airports before greeting relatives at Christmas.

Advocacy Group Reflects on Campaign Impact

In a statement to Irish broadcaster RTE, the DRCC defended the underlying intent of its public health education efforts while agreeing to pause the material. The organization explained that “We-Consent” is a long-term prevention campaign aimed at increasing awareness and practice of consent throughout Ireland.

“We created three videos premised on the idea that boundaries should be respected from an early age and to respect others’ boundaries too,” the DRCC stated. “We are going to remove the videos from our social media channels while we reflect on whether they are having the positive effect we want them to have.”

The controversy comes amid ongoing national discussions about public safety and crime figures. In 2024, The Irish Independent reported that official reports of sexual assault in Ireland nearly doubled between 2012 and 2022. Addressing the social media campaign, Inez Stepman, a senior policy and legal analyst at Independent Women, argued that government-funded institutions should focus on the root causes of sexual violence rather than lecturing families on basic domestic interactions.