A coordinated, targeted campaign of harassment targeting female elected officials across the Republic of Ireland has been uncovered, with at least 80 councillors from across the political spectrum coming forward to report disturbing, inappropriate phone calls, the country’s main local government representative body has confirmed.
The Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), which advocates for all 950 city and county councillors across the republic, first confirmed the pattern of abuse earlier this week. The organization’s president, Aengus O’Rourke, labeled the widespread reports deeply alarming, emphasizing that no elected public servant should face intimidation or harassment simply for fulfilling their formal public duties.
“The reports we have received are deeply concerning and point to what appears to be a deliberate campaign targeting women in public office,” O’Rourke said in an official statement. “While this behaviour has been directed at female councillors, it is an attack on local democracy itself,” added AILG Head of Operations Elaine Lynch.
One of the affected councillors, Dakota Nic Mheanman from Ballybofey, Donegal, shared her experience with local outlet Donegal Daily, describing sexually explicit phone calls that left her feeling deeply uncomfortable. After she ended the first unwanted call, she said the caller redialed within 60 seconds and continued repeated attempts to contact her throughout the day and into the evening.
Nic Mheanman, who has since stopped answering calls from private or withheld numbers, pushed back against the harassment in a social media statement, noting that female politicians across all parties had faced similar abuse. “This is a direct attack on female councillors,” she said, thanking AILG for bringing the issue to public attention and affirming that female elected representatives would not be bullied into stepping back from their work. She also urged constituents to display visible phone numbers when reaching out to public representatives to help filter legitimate queries from abusive contacts.
In response to the emerging pattern of abuse, AILG has proactively reached out to every female councillor across the Republic of Ireland to issue alerts, share guidance on call screening and walk through protocols for reporting abusive incidents to authorities. The organization has also issued a public appeal asking constituents to avoid contacting councillors from withheld or private numbers whenever possible, encouraging alternative contact methods such as leaving a voicemail, sending a text or email, or using official contact details published through local authorities. This simple step, the association notes, helps councillors quickly distinguish legitimate constituent enquiries from nuisance or abusive calls. AILG has confirmed it will maintain close collaboration with law enforcement as the investigation progresses.
An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police service, has confirmed the matter is now being probed at a national level by its specialist detective unit. To support affected elected officials, the force has appointed dedicated liaison officers in every Garda division to provide support, while divisional crime prevention teams stand ready to offer personal safety guidance to any councillor who requests it. Police have issued a clear appeal to any public representative who has experienced harassment or fallen victim to a related offense to file an official report immediately.