Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. I thank the Independent Senators for tabling this Private Members' motion and I also welcome the Government amendment as both are mutually supportive.

Everybody has said that we are mostly singing off the same hymn sheet this evening. Child sexual images are on the Internet in our living rooms and in children's bedrooms and that is the new crime scene, as Senator van Turnhout said. It is vile, repulsive and profoundly evil. We must work in unison to combat the problem. It will not be easy to do because the problem is not just in Ireland or Europe but worldwide. Unfortunately, the victims are getting younger and the images are becoming more aggressive and violent. I have spoken to victims of child abuse who are now adults and they continue to have flashbacks, they cannot maintain relationships and they experience neediness because they are defiled forever. We must continue to work together to combat this problem and condemn it in the strongest terms. I know the Minister is bringing forward the sexual offences Bill and, as a leader on the issue, he will facilitate the State's full compliance with the most recent EU directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography.

There is a need for an international approach as well as a domestic approach to this issue because legislative provision, internationally and domestically, must be responsive. The Internet is changing rapidly in the context of abusive behaviour and the environments available for abuse. However, because the issue is international in nature does not mean we should fail to do anything. We need both a local and a global approach, as this is not only an Irish or European problem but is a worldwide issue.

We must consider who are the victims; they are young children. It is abhorrent to think of babies and toddlers in this context. We must educate our young people about Internet usage and the dangers that exist. We must empower them to know that being approached in a manner like this is not healthy and is wrong and that these images are wrong and unlawful. It is stunning what children can find funny and what they think may not be wrong. We should not think for a minute that because we think it is wrong that they know it is wrong, so education is critical. It would be helpful to provide for blocking of access to such content by Internet service providers, ISPs, in the State. I acknowledge this will be difficult because the Internet does not have boundaries but this would be the responsible approach to ending this crime and it may help prevent abusers from originating here. There is a danger that if we do nothing and look on this as a global problem, we could be lax. Every country should play its part.

How does the Government link with other countries, not just in Europe but across the globe, to provide the best protection and prevention possible? Is there a way to detect centrally whether a person or group accesses a website with pornographic images of children, innocent or otherwise or if they download images? That has to be nub of the problem. I recall a few years ago a prominent individual was found to have downloaded images on his hard drive. There was a Garda investigation. A fear was expressed about people accidentally landing on a website with these images and whether they would be detected. Approaches should be made by gardaí if they are detected. Is that possible? This is the level of detection needed to prevent such heinous crimes and I am keen to know if there is any information on that.