Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman has said that he is being abused daily online because he is gay.
Minister O'Gorman told RTÉ's The Week in Politics that his team must remove comments alleging he is a paedophile and child groomer from his social media accounts every day.
The minister said while he did not like talking about the personal abuse, he was doing so because it needs to be called out as it is happening more frequently and it is damaging.
He said: "Every politician has to be ready for robust criticism, absolutely. But there is a definite change in dialogue in some parts of the public on these issues.
"I'm able to take it, but for young people who are online and having to face similar attacks, it is really difficult and I think it's important we call it out.
"I'm also aware that right now online and in various public fora, a lot of people who are gay or advocating on LGBT+ issues are facing vicious abuse."
The minister said that he has warned people who are considering running for his party, the Green Party, in the next election, that the level of abuse is different to when he first ran for election in 2004.
He said: "The online side of it, which you have to do, you have to be present there, it's really tough.
"I don't get into responding to tweets anymore. I used to do it before but I just had to cut it out now because some of the stuff is so nasty if you let it get into your head, it would distract you from the important work we are trying to do."
