Councillors receive messages ‘wishing ill on me and my family’

City and county councillors face growing levels of abuse from the public and increasingly fear for their safety, according to the most extensive study of Irish local authority members published to date.

Research from Maynooth University for the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), ahead of this year’s local elections, found abuse sustained by councillors contributes to premature retirements, deters recruitment “and would not be acceptable in any workplace”.

The 21st Century Councillor in Irish Local Government report involved surveys of 500 councillors, as well as one-to-one interviews and focus groups with a representative sample of councillors and other local authority stakeholders.

Most councillors surveyed found their work representing constituents rewarding, but felt their power had diminished while their workload had increased. They also felt more vulnerable to abuse, both online and in person, with women most likely to be “on the receiving end of abuse”.

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Constituents often did not understand the role of the councillor, the report found. “They… kind of think that we’re mini-TDs,” one respondent said. Constituents presumed councillors had powers over waste collection and planning and housing decisions, which sometimes prompted confrontational or “hostile” interactions.

Many councillors’ experiences of prejudice, racism and sexism... inhibit them from fulfilling their roles, contribute to premature retirements, are deterrents to recruitment, and would not be acceptable in any workplace

—  21st Century Councillor in Irish Local Government report

“I’m getting the abusive calls saying, ‘You effing cow, you’re helping them and now you’re not helping us’,” said one councillor in relation to housing issues. Another referenced receiving “very nasty messages, not via social media, but actually via email”. They were concerned this would increase in the run up to the local elections, with people “wishing ill on me and my family”.

[ Harassment of women TDs is ‘impacting on our democracy’, meeting hears ]

Councillors reported “long hours, poor pay and conditions, and little supports”, while being “on call almost 24/7″. One councillor with 23 years’ service said: “I am proud to have served my council and constituents, however, on reflection of my time and potential earnings lost, it has been a selfish act in relation to my family. That is my biggest regret.” Another highlighted the potential repercussions of taking a career break to work as a councillor. “Taking a five-year gap out of your career just kills your career… if you say, ‘I’ll do it for one term’, your career is dead.”

Councillors perceived their powers had “been eroded, and many object to the transfers of functional responsibilities from local authorities to ‘state quangos’”, the report said.

[ Local councillors say they get death threats in course of their work ]

Female councillors faced “deeply problematic” biases, both from the public and in the workplace, the report found.

“Many councillors’ experiences of prejudice, racism and sexism in formal and non-formal settings and on social media inhibit them from fulfilling their roles, contribute to premature retirements, are deterrents to recruitment, and would not be acceptable in any workplace,” the report said. Findings indicate local government “lags behind other sectors and workplaces in respect of ‘dignity-at-work’ policies and practices”, it added.

[ Female politicians calls for action against those behind online abuse ]

The report recommended councillors and officials “work collaboratively to ensure that dignity-at-work is universally and effectively applied in all settings and circumstances in which councillors do their business”.

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