Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The chief superintendent has made the point that the Internet is instantaneous. That is what is brilliant about it. One pushes a button and gets one's information immediately. It is a little bit too much of us to expect these companies to be able to detect when somebody posts a false or hateful comment or an offensive image and to take it down immediately. With regard to the period of time they have to do so, however, people have told me that in some instances untrue, dangerous and terrible stuff about them has been left online for months on end. It can sometimes stretch to years despite those affected continually asking and pleading with these companies to take it down. Even when An Garda Síochána brings the problem to the attention of the companies the content is sometimes left in place. Is there a need for additional legislation to force the providers to remove such content? The legislation about which we are speaking goes some distance towards that end. How do the witnesses feel about it?