Agenda and minutes

I am formally requesting a special meeting of Dublin City Council to address the urgent and growing issue of misinformation, particularly regarding immigration and public safety. The recent surge in false narratives has escalated due to a lack of clear communication from the government, creating a vacuum for harmful misinformation to spread, divide, and incite violence in our communities.

Key agenda for the meeting:

1. Misinformation and public safety: Discussion on the impact of recent false claims, including the October 4th incident in Finglas, which caused unnecessary fear and confusion despite clarification from An Garda Siochana.

2. Social media platforms and political exploitation: Addressing how platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are used to spread toxic, politically motivated narratives about immigration, fuelling racism and division.

3. Council's role and response: Exploring ways for Dublin City Council to unite in combating misinformation, while reinforcing Dublin as a city of inclusion, tolerance, and respect.

4. Improved government communication: Call for clearer, more proactive government messaging to prevent harmful misinformation from escalating and threatening public trust.

The normalization of these narratives not only damages our social cohesion but also poses a real threat to public safety. Racist rhetoric, thinly veiled behind misinformation, is poisoning public discourse, and we must address it head-on. Dublin City Council, as a representative body of all our communities, has a responsibility to ensure that our city remains a place of inclusion, tolerance, and respect.

I believe this Council must stand united against the spread of harmful misinformation and work collaboratively to combat it. We must demand clearer, more consistent communication from the government on issues that impact public trust, while also reinforcing the importance of respectful and informed discussions online. Therefore, I call for this special meeting to outline our collective stance and explore measures to protect our communities from the dangerous effects of misinformation, ensuring Dublin remains a safe and inclusive city for all.

Signed by:

Cllr. Barry Heneghan

Cllr. Hazel Chu

Cllr. Feljin Jose

Cllr. Ammar Ali

Cllr. Cieran Perry

Cllr. Pat Dunne

Cllr. Conor Reddy

Cllr. Mannix Flynn

Cllr. Christy Burke

Cllr. Mary Callaghan

Cllr. Vincent Jackson

Cllr. Hazel de Nortuín

Cllr. Micheal MacDonncha

Cllr. Anthony Connaghan

Cllr. Janice Boylan

Cllr. Daniel Ennis

Cllr. Cat O’Driscoll

Cllr. Patricia Roe

Cllr. Paddy Monahan

Cllr. Jesslyn Henry    

Cllr. Aishling Silke

Cllr. Daithí Doolan

Cllr. Séamas McGrattan

Cllr. Edel Moran

Cllr. Leslie Kane

Cllr. Kourtney Kenny

Cllr. Maire Devine

The following motion was submitted by Councillor Barry Heneghan and seconded by Councillor Mannix Flynn:

I am formally requesting a special meeting of Dublin City Council to address the urgent and growing issue of misinformation, particularly regarding immigration and public safety. The recent surge in false narratives has escalated due to a lack of clear communication from the government, creating a vacuum for harmful misinformation to spread, divide, and incite violence in our communities. Key agenda for the meeting:

1. Misinformation and public safety: Discussion on the impact of recent false claims, including the October 4th incident in Finglas, which caused unnecessary fear and confusion despite clarification from An Garda Siochana.

2. Social media platforms and political exploitation: Addressing how platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are used to spread toxic, politically motivated narratives about immigration, fuelling racism and division.

3. Council's role and response: Exploring ways for Dublin City Council to unite in combating misinformation, while reinforcing Dublin as a city of inclusion, tolerance, and respect.

4. Improved government communication: Call for clearer, more proactive government messaging to prevent harmful misinformation from escalating and threatening public trust.

The normalization of these narratives not only damages our social cohesion but also poses a real threat to public safety. Racist rhetoric, thinly veiled behind misinformation, is poisoning public discourse, and we must address it head-on. Dublin City Council, as a representative body of all our communities, has a responsibility to ensure that our city remains a place of inclusion, tolerance, and respect.

I believe this Council must stand united against the spread of harmful misinformation and work collaboratively to combat it. We must demand clearer, more consistent communication from the government on issues that impact public trust, while also reinforcing the importance of respectful and informed discussions online. Therefore, I call for this special meeting to outline our collective stance and explore measures to protect our communities from the dangerous effects of misinformation, ensuring Dublin remains a safe and inclusive city for all.

Signed by:

Cllr. Barry Heneghan                          Cllr. Michael MacDonncha

Cllr. Hazel Chu                                   Cllr. Anthony Connaghan

Cllr. Feljin Jose                                   Cllr. Janice Boylan

Cllr. Ammar Ali                                    Cllr. Daniel Ennis

Cllr. Cieran Perry                                Cllr. Cat O’Driscoll

Cllr. Conor Reddy                               Cllr. Paddy Monaghan

Cllr. Mannix Flynn                               Cllr. Jesslyn Henry

Cllr. Christy Burke                              Cllr. Aishling Silke

Cllr. Mary Callaghan                           Cllr. Séamas McGrattan

Cllr. Vincent Jackson                          Cllr. Edel Moran

Cllr. Hazel De Nortuín                        Cllr. Leslie Kane

Cllr. Kourtney Kenny

Cllr. Maire Devine

The Lord Mayor invited Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive to provide a short outline of what the City Council’s obligations are in respect of the subject matter of this evening’s Special Council meeting. This included the Executives role in relation to Public Sector Duty, Codes of Conduct & Ethics Framework, Social Media Policy, Community Development Strategy, new Local Authority Integration Teams, Community Connection project and Department of the Taoiseach’s Migration and Information campaign.

The Lord Mayor then invited speakers from all parties to contribute to the debate.

Following the debate, it was agreed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.