Irish Consent Campaign Withdraws Ad on Grandparent Hugs
WHO:
NY Post - Jim O’Callaghan was Ireland’s Minister for Justice.
NY Post - Irish politician Gavin Pepper criticized the public-service announcement.
Newsweek - Irish politician Jim O’Callaghan criticized the advertisement.
BBC News - Jim O'Callaghan criticized the video.
Newsweek - The advertisement concerned Irish grandparents and children.
BBC News - The video concerned grandparents hugging children.
WHAT:
BBC - A critic called the publicly funded social-media video “ill-thought out” at best and “offensive and potentially damaging to our older population” at worst, describing it as “a million miles off the mark.”
NY Post - O’Callaghan said the ad “was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my officials' engagement with them.”
NY Post - Pepper said, “A hug from a loving grandparent should not be presented as something strange or suspicious.”
Newsweek - The article reported that an Irish consent campaign withdrew an advertisement warning grandparents against hugging children.
BBC News - The article reported that a grandparent-hugging consent advertisement was pulled after criticism.
Newsweek - O’Callaghan called the ad “inappropriate” and “demeaning to grandparents.”
BBC News - O'Callaghan described the video as “inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents”.
WHY:
BBC News - The advertisement was pulled after criticism.
Newsweek - O’Callaghan’s stated criticism was that the ad was “inappropriate” and “demeaning to grandparents.”
HOW:
NY Post - O’Callaghan said the ad was removed by DRCC after his officials engaged with the organization.
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 22:11 UTC)
An Irish consent campaign has withdrawn a publicly funded social-media video warning grandparents about hugging children, after the advertisement drew criticism. Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s Minister for Justice, said it was “inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents.” He said the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, or DRCC, removed the video after his officials engaged with the organization. The advertisement concerned grandparents hugging children, and critics objected to presenting an affectionate family gesture as suspicious. Irish politician Gavin Pepper said, “A hug from a loving grandparent should not be presented as something strange or suspicious.” Another critic called the video “ill-thought out” at best and “offensive and potentially damaging to our older population” at worst, adding that it was “a million miles off the mark.” The campaign’s withdrawal followed the backlash.
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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 21:09 UTC)
An Irish consent campaign has withdrawn an advertisement warning grandparents about hugging children, following public criticism. The video showed grandparents hugging children, and critics objected to the way it portrayed ordinary family affection. Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s Minister for Justice, called the advertisement “inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents.” He said DRCC removed it after his officials engaged with the organization. Irish politician Gavin Pepper also criticized the message, saying, “A hug from a loving grandparent should not be presented as something strange or suspicious.” The campaign’s withdrawal came after the criticism, with O’Callaghan confirming that the video had been taken down. The dispute centered on a consent message that, in warning about grandparents’ hugs, was seen by critics as casting a loving gesture as suspicious.
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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 18:08 UTC)
An Irish consent campaign has withdrawn a public-service advertisement warning grandparents against hugging children, after the video drew criticism. The advertisement focused on grandparents hugging their grandchildren, an image that sparked objections from Irish politicians. Jim O’Callaghan called it “inappropriate” and “demeaning to grandparents.” Gavin Pepper also criticized the campaign, saying, “A hug from a loving grandparent should not be presented as something strange or suspicious.” The criticism centered on how the ad portrayed an affectionate family gesture. O’Callaghan’s remarks added to the backlash that led to the video being pulled. The campaign’s warning about consent was aimed at grandparents, but its depiction of a hug prompted concerns that the message unfairly cast ordinary affection as suspicious. The advertisement has now been withdrawn.
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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 17:15 UTC)
An Irish consent campaign has withdrawn an advertisement warning grandparents against hugging children, following criticism of its message. The video focused on grandparents hugging children and urged them to consider consent before embracing them. Irish politician Jim O’Callaghan criticized the advertisement, calling it “inappropriate” and “demeaning to grandparents.” His objection centered on how the campaign portrayed grandparents, rather than on a separate detail about the video. The advertisement was pulled after criticism, and the campaign’s withdrawal followed the backlash. The episode has drawn attention to a campaign message that connected children’s consent with familiar, affectionate gestures from grandparents. O’Callaghan’s remarks made clear that he viewed the ad’s approach as disrespectful to grandparents. The campaign has now removed the advertisement from circulation.