Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will give consideration to bringing in age restrictions on the sale of mobile phone devices (i.e., aged 15 and under - phones with calling and texting functions only; age 15 and over - phones with full multimedia functionality); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47910/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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There are no plans by Government to introduce age restrictions on the sale of mobile phone devices.

I assume the Deputy is raising the question in the context of accessing content on mobile phones.

The Deputy may wish to be aware, that one of the key findings from 'The Growing Up In Ireland' report of July 2023, a joint project of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Central Statistics Office, is that 98% of 13 year olds had sole use of a smartphone.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the issue of the availability of illegal and harmful online content and access to age-inappropriate online content is being addressed through the implementation of European Union regulations like the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the Digital Services Act by the newly established independent regulator, Coimisiún na Meán.