Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates. We are very grateful to have them here. There are many things I could ask, but I have to try to hone in on a number of them that I want to put to them.

I am conscious that this is the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs and that the digital age of consent was actually dealt with by the justice committee. That puts us in a difficult position. I chaired a committee which dealt with an issue on which some people disagreed. I fear that this issue has been decided, but I hope certain individuals can look at the legislative implications on Committee Stage. It is a children's issue. The justice committee was the right place for it to be dealt with because of the Bill, but it is certainly something into which we should have some input.

Education is key. We cannot say it enough. A little like the issue of childhood obesity, we have to come at it from the top, the side and the bottom. It is one area in which children are far ahead of us. It is a little like drug enhanced performance in sport. Those involved are ahead of us all the time. It is comparable to those who seek to partake in illegal activity in sport. It is constantly developing. The advertisers, marketers and all those involved are constantly trying to see how they can benefit financially in all areas and children are a huge target group.

The delegates touched on the banning issue. We have to try to get children off their mobile phones. It is easy to say we cannot ban them and cannot have a digital age of consent over 13 years. How free will we have to be on this issue? My feeling is, having put some stuff on social media in recent weeks, that parents believe they need a helping hand. We need to come at it from a lot of angles, but banning mobile phones would be an extreme measure and, as Dr. Aiken said, might make it more attractive. What is her view on potentially not allowing mobile phones in schools until the age of 14 years?