Máire Devine (Sinn Fein)
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I know there is a big emphasis on child pornography and grooming by adults. I am quite interested in the children's aspect of it, with regard to sexting and the exposure that children risk when they do that. The witnesses state that children do not really understand cybercrime and cyberbullying, especially if they are younger. There is a question of how to address that with children. The witnesses addressed borderless Internet. It is infinite so it will grow and grow. Education is the key word. We talked about education for those going into secondary schools and trying to manage the primary schools somehow. We need to train young people. We have not had young people in here to give their presentation. I have a presentation from Comhairle na nÓg which has created an excellent document about cyberbullying, and I will be inviting its members here at some stage. We need them to be at the heart of it.

It would be helpful to train young people, perhaps secondary school children in transition year, and make them ambassadors. They could go into primary schools with age-appropriate information. It would empower them, get them recognition in their own school and also in primary schools. It would be helpful because access by children to it is increasing. It is an ever-growing issue. We need to include children and put them at the centre of it. They have great ideas and solutions. It will empower, give them a voice and allow them to be the mammies and daddies to younger children.

Another issue, which I have raised previously, is that we need to make much more use of the journal children get at school which has their classes, diaries and dates in and which parents sign off on. We could put something in. I have a cyberbullying chart done by Comhairle na nÓg. It is very simple. It is addressed to all young people reminding them that their digital behaviour can affect others and that they should treat others as they would like to be treated. It tells them to take responsibility for their actions on social media, that all actions have consequences and they should think about the potential impact of their actions and make good choices. We should consider something like that. It makes the children who will become our young teens and adults more aware. The difficulty I see is getting the information out there. We are aware of it but I am not sure how aware of it I would be if I was not on this committee. We should get the information out in the simplest way using material that is already there. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. We should get those messages out using the cheapest way with material people use every day. I want to emphasise that we should involve our children.

There are many aspects to staff resources which I have addressed. Pornography or grooming by adults is not the only concern. The difficulty comes in when it is child-to-child or young teenager-to-young teenager. Will the witnesses comment on that? How is it dealt with?

What are the witnesses' views on passports being withheld from convicted paedophiles? A priest is working on this issue and hopes to have it enacted. If it was to go ahead, I think we will be the first country in the world to do it. There are serious implications.