Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers for appearing before the joint committee. Their presence is a positive signal of the Government's approach to children and their safety online. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, set out his position on the matter of a digital safety commissioner. Speaking at a previous meeting of the joint committee, Mr. Ronan Lupton, a member of the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group, outlined some interesting ideas to which I had not given much thought, although they were set out in the report. For example, he suggested that the digital safety commissioner come within the remit of the Department of the Taoiseach. This would mean the Taoiseach would appoint a Minister of State with responsibility for the digital age, the Internet or whichever title one wished to give the Minister. Given the prevalence of the Internet in society, the way in which adults and children conduct themselves online and the safety issues that arise, is it not necessary to implement this proposal? As far as I am concerned, it is the only show in town. We could spend a full day discussing the age of consent, banning telephones and so forth but the issue is one of developing a framework. According to certain people, I am the queen of nannies and I am apparently all for introducing bans. While I respect the great work being done in this area, we are a little rudderless. Would the appointment of a digital safety commissioner not be a great step forward?