DUBLIN — Ireland’s Justice Minister Helen McEntee today declared that she believes pornography has become “too easily accessible” and “more violent and degrading.” She made the remarks in response to a survey publicized by the local press, claiming that “one in five men in Ireland aged under 55 watch porn daily.”
In a statement to the Irish Examiner, McEntee — a member of the right-leaning Christian Democrat Fine Gael party, a governing partner in a coalition led by Ireland’s Labour Party — reacted to the survey conducted by local nonprofit Men’s Development Network.
“Pornography is too easily accessible, it has become more violent and degrading,” McEntee stated. “It has changed the way younger people view sexual relationships. Men and boys can become agents of change by challenging discrimination, sexism and violence, and I welcome the tireless work that Men’s Development Network does in this area.
“I am glad that my department has been of assistance this year by providing funding for its awareness-raising campaigns. I’m confident that, through continued education, we can support men and boys, and women and girls, to fulfill their aspirations, unconstrained by narrow stereotypes. We must continue to work together.”
The MDN survey reports that more than 70% of men under 45 who responded to the survey reported “using porn” at least once a week, while over 40% of respondents aged 44 and under said that “pornography has influenced their expectations of sex in real life.”
While MDN’s website describes the survey as “Open to all men throughout the island of Ireland aged 18 upwards” and “seeking a representative demographic sample,” it is unclear based on mainstream news reporting whether MDN surveyed only straight-identifying cisgender men, or included queer and trans men. Most of the quotes used in press coverage conflate “men” with “cis straight men” and imply that “pornography” is only “used” by them.
MDN CEO Sean Cooke expressed hope that more people would “complete our Male Attitudinal Survey, to support us so we can continue to inform policy in ways that bring about meaningful societal change for us all.”
Ireland is currently undergoing a debate over sex education in schools. Whether porn awareness will be part of the curriculum, and how, has been a contested issue.
