Mr. Simon O'Brien:

In our expanded definition of "serious harm", there are some issues. A serious offence such as rape would not necessarily come to us because it does not fall within the definition of serious harm. The Houses here, possibly by Schedule, would be able to add offences over time. We have already thought about how aspects of information technology which would not have been known to our Legislature in 2007, such as trolling, may become issues in the future. In expanding our definition of serious harm, that would be a good way to go. While I do not have specific examples of issues that have not come to us, investigations into matters in which we might have been interested have happened within the Garda Síochána which we have first heard of when there is a trial and somebody is convicted. Therefore this new legislation should expand the matters which come to us by referral.