Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I thank the Minister for this. I was hoping it would not be a case of poacher turned gamekeeper when was giving his response. An audience council might not go far enough. Perhaps the likes of the BBC could be looked at. There are models for a more searching audit. I do not think it necessarily entails interference with editorial independence to require there would be a strict measurement attempted on diversity. I want to make this point.

There is increasing concern among the public, and parents in particular, about what children see online. I have asked the Minister and I am aware of the role of Coimisiún na Meán in regulating in this area. I am concerned about the need for strict age verification to be imposed as a matter of law in this country on purveyors of online pornography, regardless of whether those purveyors have their EU headquarters based in Ireland, elsewhere in the EU or outside the EU. The French Government has been making moves to regulate online porn providers who are not located in France and are engaging with the Commission on this area. I want to ask the Minister straight up whether in the lifetime of this Government he will commit to bringing around a situation whereby porn available online in this country involves strict age verification to ensure young people are not harmed.