Aontú’s Drogheda Representative, Michael O’ Dowd, has condemned the Government-backed advertisement linking grandparents’ affection with abuse, questioning how much taxpayers’ money was wasted on the now shelved campaign, scrapped following public outcry.
Michael O’ Dowd said:
“How much taxpayers’ money was wasted on this disgraceful advertisement, and who is going to be held accountable?
“This Government is completely out of touch. We have a housing crisis, thousands of children homeless and families struggling with the cost of living, yet public money is being spent on an advertising campaign so badly conceived that it had to be withdrawn.
“Who approved this campaign? Why were concerns not raised before public funds were spent? Taxpayers deserve answers, not another Government fiasco where nobody takes responsibility. When I saw it first I thought it was a spoof trailer for Halloween 14!
“Of course, consent is important, but there is no justification for conflating this with the innocent love between grandparents and their grandchildren.
“I have spoken to grandparents throughout County Louth and beyond who are horrified by this campaign. It has caused unnecessary distress and made people self-conscious about showing natural affection to their grandchildren.
“This is both a disgraceful message and a waste of public money. The Government must explain how much this campaign cost, who signed it off and what steps will be taken to ensure taxpayers are not left footing the bill for similar failures.
“The Government owes grandparents an apology and taxpayers a full explanation.”
