The organisation representing local elected representatives has expressed concern over the harassment of up to 70 female councillors across the country.
The Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) said it had been made aware of repeated telephone calls from an individual who has subjected female elected members from across the political spectrum to disturbing and inappropriate sexual comments.
It said the calls have been reported to gardaí.
Head of Operations at AILG Elaine Lynch said the first reports from female councillors around the country were made last Monday week.
She said they were receiving "persistent, harassing telephone calls," and the reports "have increased over the past couple of days".
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Ms Lynch said so far there have been no reports of male councillors receiving similar calls.
She said the calls have generally come from private or withheld numbers "and have contained disturbing and inappropriate sexual comments".
"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.
"In one reported case, after answering a call, a female councillor received a further 16 calls within the space of an hour," Ms Lynch added.
"Our message has been to advise and prioritise the safety of our female members, tell them to exercise caution with withheld numbers.
"We're telling them not to engage with callers, to try and not answer any private or withheld numbers and to obviously record details of any incidents, particularly the time log and report them to their local garda liaison officer," she added.
Ms Lynch said the AILG was "going public" with the story because "it's important for us to know that women councillors, they are not facing this alone, and to just call it out for what it is, which is a direct attack on our local democracy and specifically on our women in our local government system, which is just not acceptable".
She said there is a "pattern" to the calls and "it does appear to be one specific individual, who is giving a specific name to the female councillors that do answer".
"And yes unfortunately it is of a, kind of, sexual nature, very disturbing comments if the telephone call is answered," she added.
Ms Lynch said members of the public can help by not contacting their female representative from a private or withheld number and to leave a "voicemail, a text message, an email, and use the published contact details available via their local authority".
She said public representatives need to be accessible to their constituents, which is a "hugely important part of their role," and any she has spoken to directly have said their main concern is "that their constituents probably can't access them as easily now because they're being extra vigilant for their own safety".
Mr Lynch said her message to women was "don't let the actions of one individual discourage you from public service".
