FALSE SMEARS REGARDING Fianna Fáil’s presidential candidate Jim Gavin spread online “did cause hurt”, the Taoiseach said.
Speaking to reporters in New York, Micheál Martin said the party is supporting Gavin as he seeks to have the defamatory claims, which have been posted to various social media platforms, removed.
“He has written to the companies – Meta did take down some of the posts,” Martin said. “There appears to be one individual in particular who has been cementing this, living overseas.
“He seems to be part of the far right political movement. This seems to me to be part of the playbook of elements within the far right to literally say whatever they want to say without any absolute basis to it. Just invent stories to undermine politics, to undermine legitimate candidates and the legitimacy of those candidates and cause hurt to families.”
Shortly after Gavin’s candidacy was declared, claims about his personal life began to gain traction online.
It has previously been reported that one Irishman, who reportedly lives in Indonesia, had spearheaded a smear campaign against Gavin online.
The presidential candidate came forward to say that they were false and malicious, with the party adding that they were being spread in an apparent effort to damage Gavin’s run for the Áras.
Gavin said he refuses to accept that “the price of participating in public life should involve having to put your family and friends through waves of online abuse and malicious smears” and said he would continue to call out “failure of our digital culture”.
Martin said the party is continuing to pursue action in regards to the comments made. Gavin is responding to the smears “in a robust manner”, he added.
“But on a personal level and on a family level, out did cause hurt and people should not have to put up with this as they run for elections,” the Taoiseach concluded.
With reporting by Christina Finn in New York
