DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL will tonight hold a special council meeting on the “urgent and growing issue” of misinformation around immigration and public safety.
The meeting was requested by Independent Barry Heneghan, who was elected at the recent Local Elections.
Speaking to The Journal, Heneghan noted that he was “elected through the power of social media”.
“We’re in the age of social media, it’s probably the place where most people get their information, whether we like it or not,” said Heneghan.
“But the spread of misinformation from elected officials really needs to be tackled,” he added, “you can’t go around as an elected official and say things you haven’t fact checked.”
The meeting that he has called for this evening is on misinformation and public safety, which Heneghan said “goes hand in hand”.
Among the items to be discussed is the “impact of recent false claims caused unnecessary fear and confusion despite clarification from An Garda Síochána”.
Heneghan pointed to an incident on 4 October in Finglas as …