MORE THAN three-quarters of Irish TDs plan to use social media tools in the next general election campaign, with Facebook overwhelmingly the favoured platform.
A new survey from PR firm Pembroke Communications found that 77 per cent of politicians said they would use these web-based tools to get their message out during the next hustings. Of the 48 TDs that responded to the phone and online survey, 96 per cent said they would use Facebook, 65 per cent said they planned to use Twitter, while half said they would use YouTube and blogs.
The survey found that fewer than one-third had used social networking tools in the 2007 general election.
The recent British election saw a large number of prospective MPs use web tools to communicate with voters.
However, Michael O’Keeffe, managing director of Pembroke, said that while such tools had a role to play, their importance in Britain may have been overplayed and set-pieces such as the televised leaders’ debates probably had more influence on voters.
Some Irish politicians, most notably Green Party chairman Dan Boyle, Minister of State Ciarán Cuffe and Fine Gael Senator Paschal Donoghue, have already begun to use Twitter to interact with the public. Mr Boyle attracted controversy in February when he suggested on Twitter that his party had been “bounced” into supporting a motion of confidence in then minister for defence Willie O’Dea.
Mr O’Keeffe said politicians will have to realise that social media platforms are not just a way of publishing information.
“I don’t think a lot of them realise that you have to engage with people and it’s an ongoing process,” said Mr O’Keeffe. “Also if you put it out there you have to get the tone right.”
The research found significant differences between the political parties: just over half (58 per cent) of Fianna Fáil TDs planned to use Twitter compared with 67 per cent for Labour and 90 per cent of Fine Gael respondents.
Although TDs see the importance of social media, 60 per cent believe that door-to-door canvassing is still the most important means of communication with constituents.
“The nature of politics in Ireland is so local, it still comes down to knocking on doors,” said Mr O’Keeffe.
