Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses might have answered this question during the one minute I was outside the room and, if they did, I apologise. Deputy Jack Chambers raised questions about the digital age of consent which was set at 16, despite our best wishes and those of every single child protection expert in this State. One of the main movers who advocated behind the scenes to raise the digital age of consent to 16 from the originally accepted age of 13 was an adviser to, and quoted by, some members of the Fianna Fáil Party who are not in attendance. That person is now involved in a private company, which is seeking to produce patented age verification biometric technology, something for which a larger market was created when we raised the age of consent to 16. That is interesting and not surprising.

Leaving that aside, how is the age of consent being implemented? How is the age being verified? Does the commission know if companies are using technical fixes or what is going on with that verification? I know that in the US under the Child Online Protection Act, COPA, companies are asking parents to scan copies of their credit cards or Government IDs or whatever.

Is anything like that happening here? What is the role of the commission in that? I am aware that a consultation is under way.