One in five candidates who responded to a Coimisún na Meán study were the subject of online attacks in last year's local and general elections and also received threats to kill or harm them, with roughly a third being worried for their own safety and about being out in public.
The findings are based on the views of respondents to post-election research by Ireland's media regulator which states that people seeking public office are now facing "the very real human impact of harmful, abusive and at times threatening content" while taking part in elections.
The findings are based on the reponses of 66 general election candidates and 226 local election candidates, roughly 10% of all who stood for election.
In last year's elections 93% of local and 99% of general election candidates used social media as part of their campaigns, with Facebook (92%), Instagram (80%), X (57%), TikTok (45%), LinkedIn (36%) and YouTube (22%) among the most common platforms.
Of this number, 24% of local election candidate respondents and 21% of general election candidate respondents who were the subject of abuse received "online threats to kill or cause serious harm to them during their campaign".
The study also said that 33% of local and 18% of general election candidates who were the subject of "violent or intimidating behaviour" online included persistent communications interfering with peace and privacy, while 46% of local election candidates and 36% of general election candidates who experienced online abuse were subjected to online attacks involving false information about their reputation.
In all, 48% of local election respondents and 59% of general election respondents said they experienced "offensive, abusive or hateful behaviour; violent or intimidating communications; or impersonation online".
These included false information intended to damage reputation (46% of local and 36% of general election candidates), "hurtful or degrading comments" (46% of local and 36% of general election candidates), gender-based slurs (18% of local and 23% of general election candidates) and racist comments (18% of local and 15% of general election candidates).
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The Coimisiún na Meán study also breaks down concerns among those election candidates by different categories. Among local election candidates it said that 62% were "anxious or afraid", 38% were "worried about family and loved ones safety, 32% were "worried about their own safety", 26% were "worried about being in public" and 20% who "increased home security".
Among general election candidates it said that 67% were "anxious or afraid", 41% were "worried about family and loved ones' safety", 38% were "worried about their own safety", 33% were "worried about being in public" and 18% "increased security at their constituency office or at clinics".
In a forward in Coimisiún na Meán's study, digital services commissioner John Evans said the findings "clearly demonstrate the very real human impact of the harmful, abusive and, at times, threatening, content, which election candidates reported receiving during both the local and general election campaigns".
He said that "while candidates acknowledged the need for legitimate political scrutiny, the offensive, targeted and, in some cases, very localised nature of online abuse, impacts candidates and their loved ones", adding it could lead to "potential consequences for political participation and the diversity of democratic representation".
