McEntee: Twitter did not engage with requests to remove 'vile' posts during riots
Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris: A spokesperson for the minister said Garda Commissioner Drew Harris had not offered his resignation nor had it been sought. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said X, formerly known as Twitter, did not engage with requests from gardaí to take down “vile” social media posts as violence erupted in Dublin last Thursday.
Ms McEntee told the Dáil Elon Musk’s platform “did not fulfil its own community standards".
She said she spoke with a detective garda at Pearse Street Garda Station on Saturday who was actively engaging with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok on Thursday.
Ms McEntee said: “She said very clearly that social media companies, in particular TikTok and Meta, they were responding, they were engaging with gardaí and were taking down these vile posts as they came up.
“X were not. They didn’t engage. They did not fulfil their own community standards and that is why we are moving to a situation where these companies do not get to self-monitor. That's why Coimisiún na Meán has been established.”
It comes as a spokesperson for the minister said Garda Commissioner Drew Harris had not offered his resignation nor had it been sought.
Ms McEntee was asked a number of times in the Dáil by Labour leader Ivana Bacik if Mr Harris had offered to resign following the fallout of the Dublin riots.
Ms McEntee again faced calls to resign in the Dáil from Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly who said: "You cannot be the person to provide the leadership to resolve these issues.”
Ms O’Reilly said Ms McEntee’s assertion that she, the Government or the gardaí did not see the violence that occurred on Thursday coming is a “weak water defence".
She said frontline workers were left exposed and called it an “unprecedented, catastrophic failure” on behalf of the Government and Mr Harris.
Ms O’Reilly received criticism in the Dáil for holding up an image of an unknown man who she said parents and children of Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Parnell Street were greeted with on Tuesday. She claimed the man was intoxicated and had urinated on himself.
Both Ms McEntee and Ms Bacik hit out at Ms O’Reilly’s use of the image in the Dáil, which has also been posted on X by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.
“I don’t think this is a time for grandstanding by waving pictures,” Ms McEntee said.
The minister also defended the Garda’s response again and said it was the “largest mobilisation” of public order units. She said as part of the Garda plan on Thursday night, it was about sending messages as quickly as possible and as part of that plan, it included WhatsApp messages.
Ms McEntee labelled rioters as “scumbags” and said they took advantage of an appalling tragedy to spread fear, loot and riot. She said those who were responsible for inciting hatred and violence and attacking gardaí would be held responsible.
"Not a single thing of benefit has come out of your mouth since last Thursday,” Ms McEntee said to Ms O’Reilly.
She accused the Opposition of seeking to secure political points and said she thought “for a split second” all political parties would be united “in our determination to face down thugs".
“Instead, what we had less than 24 hours later, your leader on the edge of a criminal scene, calling for heads,” Ms McEntee said.
Ms Bacik said the minister could “not legislate her way out of this crisis”, referring to the minister’s comments she would fast-track facial recognition technology.
Ms McEntee said since becoming justice minister, she has opened two new Garda stations in Dublin city centre. She said she had given €10m in funding for Garda overtime earlier this year too.
