Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses to the committee and wish them the very best of luck in their roles in Coimisiún na Meán. We have been discussing this matter in both Chambers and these committee rooms in this House. I have had many interviews on radio stations on the call for an online media commission and the importance of it. The commission's work is not underestimated by Members of these Houses.

I am a parent of four young very inquisitive and normal boys. The thought of the online world is petrifying. Thankfully, most of us grew up in a world with none of that. We were lucky if we had access to the Encyclopaedia Britannicain a neighbour's house. That is as far as it went for us. We are battling a whole new world. I am not on top of all of this as a parent and as somebody who navigates the online world for my own work.

I apologise if these questions have been covered already; I missed the start of the meeting. What measures will be taken to ensure the responsible use of AI in online platforms and to enhance child safety and privacy? How can parents and guardians actively participate in that safeguarding? Given that we cannot close down every door, how can we empower everybody to go through these changes for our children's and indeed our own underline experience? Ms Hodnett mentioned that Coimisiún na Meán would be consulting with the youth forum. As we go through the changes and the commission implements its code of conduct etc., will it be consulting the Department of Education to roll that out in schools and empower and educate our children to understand that this is a critical part of our education system? How will we see that as parents coming home and how will we be able to support our children and educate ourselves on the new online world that will be the norm in future?

How will the regulator work with a platform to prioritise children's safety, especially in terms of monitoring content and harmful interactions? Has the commission a role? Forgive my lack of knowledge of the old commission’s setup. Will the new commission have a role in monitoring or will it wait for a complaint to be made first? Is the commission proactive or reactive?