John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his presentation and wish him well in grappling with the complex issues he has outlined. The Minister mentioned the Defamation Act and the existing legislation whereby people can defend themselves.

The difficulty is that it seems to be easier to bully online. It is easier to hide behind its anonymous nature and to isolate people. In the case of schoolchildren or young people bullying in the old traditional way, at least finished at 4 p.m. It is impossible to contain online bullying. It is easier to do and more people are suffering silently. The Minister has pointed that out and the complexity it entails. The big issue is to deal with the anonymity. What are the Minister's views on that? Is it possible to deal with it? If so, that would solve many of the issues. Some of the stuff that appears online would never appear in print. We often complain that the print media regulates itself and say that some of the stuff that appears in print should be restricted, but there is no comparison between what appears in print and what appears online. Is the Minister happy with the regulations that compel companies to remove material?