Up to 70 female Councillors targeted by harassing calls

No male councillors have reported similar calls

Why female councillors are being targeted

Ms Lynch said the reports coming from different local authorities and parties pointed to women being deliberately targeted.

"What's particularly concerning to us is that the reports have come from different local authorities and political parties, and that suggests to us that women are being specifically targeted here," Ms Lynch said.

The AILG said it was "going public" to show women councillors they are "not facing this alone", with Ms Lynch calling the campaign "a direct attack on our local democracy". Members have been advised to avoid answering withheld numbers, not to engage with callers, to log the time of any incident and to report it to their local garda liaison officer. Follow the latest Irish news for more.