While the Dáil is in recess ministers and elected representatives get a temporary break from the heated political sparring that is a daily feature in the chamber, but there is no such holiday for them on social media.
Ministers in particular on social media are the target of not just political but often very personal attacks.
Many of the ministers with responsibility for agriculture, environment and climate have, over the course of the 33rd Dáil, become increasingly targeted on social media platforms as the debate over climate change measures and the future of agriculture in Ireland intensifies.
One minister who is no stranger to this is Pippa Hackett, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Agriland asked her how she deals with some of the more negative and very personalised comments across social media platforms
“To be be honest I don’t tend to look at many of the comments under my own posts, sometimes I’ll interact with some of them, sometimes I won’t. I think the sort of unpleasant stuff is unpleasant to see but at the end of the day I am a public figure, I am a minister, I’m accountable to the public.
“I always knew there would be some level of negative discourse online, I think I was sort of semi prepared for that and unfortunately you sort of do grow a bit of a thick skin to it, but it doesn’t mean it’s right either,” Minister Hackett said.
Toxic social media posts
She believes that from talking to various representatives and ministers who have been in politics for the last five, 10 to 15 years that the “discourse is way worse” now than it had been previously and it is a trend she has also experienced herself.
“The only other thing I could compare it to is when I ran for the local elections in 2019 versus the general elections just nine months later, there was an upsurge.
I found it absolutely more negative and more toxic stuff, whether my own profile was higher or what the reason for that was.
“Coming up, whenever the next general election will be, I think you’ll see an upsurge across the board on nasty social media postings,” Minister Hackett added.
She also believes that her portfolio as a minister – a “Green in agriculture” does “seem to “anger a lot of people”.
Minister Hackett said: “My own personal saving grace is that I am actually a farmer as well so I can resonate with a lot of the concerns very much so and maybe the source of some of that anger.
“But again it’s still probably doesn’t excuse some of the tone that’s used and I’m always conscious that I have children as well and they might see some of it too. But I think the portfolio probably, absolutely is a challenge.”
According to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, dealing with what happens on social media is “part and parcel of doing a job in the public eye”.
But he told Agriland: “I believe it’s very important to show leadership as much as possible on this so if someone crosses the line in terms of abuse I will block them to deliver a clear message that their behaviour isn’t tolerated.
“Likewise if I come across an account abusing someone else I’ll block them from my account too on the spot as they don’t deserve to have the opportunity to engage.
“I never have an issue with anyone posting very strong criticism no matter how severe, as that’s people’s right to express their views – however reasonable they are or aren’t.”
However Minister McConalogue said he does not ever “tolerate abuse” on social media and he is firmly of the opinion “nor should anyone else”.
“I believe it’s important that politicians and anyone in leadership roles take the lead in not tolerating this behaviour and immediately block those that do it,” he said.
But when comments on social media get very personal what is the best approach for a minister or elected representative to take?
According to the Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment & Communications, Eamon Ryan his method is quite straightforward.
“I try to ignore it because God if you read down below the line on the Twitter feed or Facebook posts it would be fairly grueling.
“I spend a lot of time around the country I meet a lot of people, I meet a lot of farmers I judge a lot on what they’re saying to me and I would have a lot of friends in farming, in all sorts of different forms of farming so I kind of tend to get my sense of where we’re at by listening to them – rather than listening to the Twitter media the kind of attacks you get.
“My own personal situation – I get on with the job… treat people with respect, listen to people, what they think of you I can’t control,” Minister Ryan told Agriland.