East Meath councillor Sharon Tolan has been forced to switch off the comments section on her social media accounts following what she described as widespread public and personal abuse.
She announced the move on Facebook late last week, saying it was necessary to protect herself and her family after what she called a concerted campaign of hatred and negativity directed at her online.
The former chairperson of Meath County Council, who topped the poll with more than 2,000 votes in the last local election, enjoys strong support across the community. Many have expressed shock at the volume and nature of the abuse aimed at her.
Cllr Tolan said, Over the past 12 years, but especially this past few weeks, I’ve been subjected to some truly vile and unacceptable online abuse. No public representative or person in any walk of life should have to tolerate this.
I remain committed to serving my community with integrity, respect, and positivity and I won’t be deterred by negativity or intimidation. I have a kind heart, a strong commitment to public service, broad shoulders and a thick skin.
Thank you to everyone who continues to show support and kindness, it means more than you know.”
She confirmed that abusive comments and private messages have been reported and blocked. However, she said that as an elected representative with a public platform, she also has a responsibility to ensure that content shared and viewed on her page is appropriate, accurate and respectful.
Cllr Tolan stated, The time and effort that goes into monitoring social media has become too much for me, and this coupled with protecting my family, friends and I, is the reason I have made the decision to turn off comments on all of my posts in future.
It’s also important to know that I am one of many public representatives who experience this kind of abuse online regularly. At some point good people like myself will ask ourselves, is this really worth it?
You the public need to think about what our democracy will look like in a few years and what type of people will be left willing to serve our communities and country. Our government needs to stop talking about online safety and start working towards protecting our democracy and ensuring that people from all walks of life are encouraged to participate in the political system in a safe and responsible manner.
Cllr Tolan and her council colleagues have recently faced criticism over the development of the new Bettystown Community Centre and Library at the beach site, following claims that it was at risk of coastal erosion. Meath County Council has since publicly clarified that the site is not at risk.
The project initially began as a proposal for public toilets before evolving into a new civic centre, library and lifeguard station, with widespread support from elected representatives and council officials in the region.
