Grandparent hugging consent ad pulled after criticism

Image source, Dublin Rape Crisis CentreImage caption, The ad depicts two grandparents enthusiastically hugging a young boyByAdam MandevilleBBC News NIPublished22 October 2026, 12:41 BSTUpdated 1 hour agoThe Irish minister for justice has criticised an advertisement produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) promoting consent, calling it "inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents".The ad depicts two grandparents enthusiastically hugging a young boy, but when they approach their granddaughter she appears unhappy about the exchange.It includes the message "not everyone wants a hug. Even from the people who love them".The ad, which has since been removed, has attracted criticism and and also received international coverage in publications such as the New York Post.Fianna Fáil politician Jim O'Callaghan, whose department funds the campaign, said the the video has since been removed following engagement with the DRCC.He said the video "does not represent the views of the Government"."It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my officials engagement with them."While it is vital to ensure that people understand the concept of consent when it comes to sexual relationships, this video did not advance that aim and in many ways was counterproductive."The video was part of a campaign titled 'We-Consent', which is led by the DRCC.In a statement to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the DRCC said: "We-Consent is a long-term campaign as part of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's prevention work to increase the awareness and practice of consent in Ireland."We created three videos premised on the idea that boundaries should be respected from an early age and to respect others' boundaries too. "We are going to remove the videos from our social media channels while we reflect on whether they are having the positive effect we want them to have."As well as the Department of Justice, the 'We-Consent' campaign is also supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and CUAN (the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency). All three have been approached for comment. Image source, Dublin Rape Crisis CentreFine Gael Senator Gareth Scahill said the video was a waste of resources."What's concerning here is public money has been used to fund an ad which at best has been ill-thought out, and at worst is offensive and potentially damaging to our older population," he said."The issue of consent is a very serious one and I acknowledge the important work the Rape Crisis Centre and other agencies do every day to advocate for all victims of rape and sexual violence, including children."But this publicly funded social media video is a million miles off the mark."He added: "What's next? Will we need to sign consent forms at arrival halls in Dublin, Shannon, Knock and Cork airports this Christmas before we can greet family members?"A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said: "'We-Consent' is a programme created and developed by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, aimed at informing, educating, and engaging the public about all forms of consent."Social media videos shared recently as part of this programme were produced by DRCC at a low-cost using volunteers and are not part of a Government advertising campaign."The Department understands that DRCC intends to review these videos. They are being removed from their social media channels to enable this review."Related topicsDublinRepublic of Ireland