Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and the committee members for their invitation to address this morning's meeting. To the best of my recollection, this is the first time an Oireachtas committee has had four Cabinet Ministers before it at the one time, which just shows how seriously we are all taking this issue.

I thank the committee for the work it has carried out since last September on the issue of online safety. Since my appointment as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have impressed upon my officials that online safety, particularly for children, is a personal priority for me. It is also a priority for me as a father of four young children. We all know that the Internet is a tool that brings enormous benefits, but there are also risks and dangers that combine anonymity and distance too easily. These types of risks vary enormously from the most serious criminal content, such as child sexual abuse material at one end of the spectrum, to legal but abusive, hurtful or defamatory comments at the other end. The perpetrators similarly vary from criminals to ordinary users, some of whom are young people themselves. Given the range of different material, no single action will "fix the Internet". There is a lot of work being done across a range of Government Departments in this area, but we need to communicate and co-ordinate our work better. We need to demonstrate a much more joined-up Government approach to online safety to every single citizen. We can never be complacent in this area.

Regarding the implementation of the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group Report, which was published in 2014, progress, as we know, has been slow. Even though it was published in May 2014, I believe the overall thrust of the report's recommendations is still valid today. A key goal of the report's recommendations was to have effective structures in place in order to ensure a joined-up approach across Government and engagement with parents, industry, voluntary groups and other agencies. This is exactly why I am holding an open policy debate forum on 8 March at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham to bring together the main players in this sphere in order to move in that one direction. This committee has highlighted and given a voice to many organisations, groups and individuals that are all working day in, day out to ensure our children, and all users, are safe and protected when online. We need to tap into this commitment and expertise on an ongoing basis.

My own Department has direct responsibility for implementing the revisions to the audiovisual media services directive. While a final text is yet to be agreed at European level, the directive will ensure that video sharing platform services such as YouTube have measures in place to protect users, especially minors, from harmful video content. We expect the revised directive to be agreed in the coming months and will then begin a public consultation on how best to implement its provisions in Ireland. It is vital we get this right. I recently met Google's vice president for public policy, Nicklas Lundblad, who told me that 500 hours of video content is uploaded to YouTube every single minute. This is a staggering fact.

My position on the need to establish an office of digital safety commissioner has been widely reported and acknowledged. Many parents, agencies and NGOs share my position. For the role to be effective and responsive to modern-day needs in the constant fast-paced world of the Internet, we need to move together as an Oireachtas on this specific issue. As the committee knows, the Government will respond tomorrow to the Private Members' Bill on a digital safety commissioner tabled by Sinn Féin. The Government will not oppose the Bill. There are aspects of the Bill as presented, however, that will need closer examination and scrutiny in order for the role to be defined as we need it to be defined, with effective powers and responsibilities. I look forward to the debate and working with my colleagues on the committee. Online safety is complex, but some of the solutions are clear. We need to do more but we also need to ensure there is greater awareness of all the resources and supports that are available right now. We want to ensure that our children are not only tech-savvy, but also safety-conscious, that our parents know where they can turn to for help, and that there is a joined-up approach to everything we do. These are measures that can be strengthened in the shorter term without waiting for legislation.

As I have outlined, a number of Government Departments and agencies are already involved in delivering many services which are aimed at safeguarding citizens online. Rather than being overly prescriptive in this area, I am keen to work on practical steps we can take now in the short term. This means working with parents, young people, NGOs and the tech companies to take actions that can make a real difference. I convened a meeting between my colleagues, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, last November on this issue. We have agreed that the most appropriate way to move online safety forward would be to hold an open policy debate to help us identify the gaps and the practical steps needed to fill them.

Six Government Departments, led by my Department, are involved in organising it. The overall aim of this event is to raise awareness among the participants of the activities that are being undertaken by the Irish Government, the European Commission, industry and NGOs in this area. The ideas and feedback generated on this day will also feed into a Government action plan which will underpin future actions and policies.

Committee members have all been invited to attend on the day. I hope that we can answer the questions that this committee has raised and that we can work together as an Oireachtas to progress these issues in a responsive way that deals with the challenges ahead. The Internet is changing on a daily basis and we need to act quickly.