Mr. Liam Herrick:

On behalf of the ICCL, we thank the committee for inviting us to appear before it. As the committee will be aware, the broader questions associated with online expression and the regulation thereof and the challenges involved in this very complex area have been a key priority area for the council for over many years. We have made a number of previous submissions to this committee and other committees on matters related to this question.

The regulation of online speech, including communications through social media, engages complex human rights issues. In approaching these questions, the ICCL seeks in the first instance to understand the context and the effect of harmful online communications and behaviours before then moving to the challenging question of how to develop appropriate laws and policies in response, in particular laws and policies that are precise, effective and proportionate in dealing with the problems that arise. In the short time available to us, we aim to highlight the nature and extent of one specific form of online harassment, namely image-based sexual abuse. In doing so, we will refer to a specific case that illustrates the types of issues we feel the Oireachtas and public bodies should urgently address in this area.

I will now hand over to my colleague, Ms Farries, who will speak to the submission the committee has received.