A radio advertisement for a new Volkswagen car was yesterday withdrawn by Motor Distributors Ireland following a litany of complaints from the public.
The advertisement which last aired on RTÉ radio 10 days ago featured a site engineer recounting his task of replacing an overflowing sewer in a flooded field in the back of a "prison for the criminally insane". Yesterday, families of people suffering from mental illnesses objected to the phraseology used and the images conjured by the advertisement.
Former senator and president of the Irish Human Rights Commission, Maurice Manning, told RTÉ's Joe Duffy Show the advert was "truly appalling".
"It's insensitive and has no sense of the hurt it has obviously caused," said Mr Manning. He added that the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum was clearly identified in the advert which he described as extraordinarily insensitive.
Dr Paul O'Connor, who works in the Central Mental Hospital, added that the advertisement was offensive and could only cause upset to the patients attending the hospital. He and a colleague had written to both RTÉ and the Volkswagen headquarters in Germany to voice their objection to what he described as a "cheap shot to poke fun at the hospital".
Managing director of Motor Distributors Ireland Tom O'Connor said yesterday the advertisement had been insensitive and ill-thought out.
He said: "All I can do is unreservedly apologise if we caused any offence to anyone. That was never our intention and we have withdrawn the ad immediately."