Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this important issue on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality. Cyberbullying is an issue of concern for all of us. Indeed, the Minister is conscious that there has been increased awareness of this issue as well as increased support for those who are the targets of bullying. A wide range of actions are already in place aimed at raising awareness among children and young people, and their parents, of the importance of safer Internet use in general and cyberbullying in particular.

One important initiative in this area is the Safer Internet Ireland Project, which is co-ordinated by the Office for Internet Safety, OIS, under the auspices of the Department of Justice and Equality. Funded by the EU's Safer Internet programme, the project is a consortium of industry, education, child welfare and Government partners which provide safer Internet awareness, hotline and helpline functions in Ireland. The Professional Development Service for Teachers under the auspices of the Department of Education and Skills, ISPCC-Childline, the National Parents Council - Primary, and Hotline.ie operated by the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland are all partners in the consortium. The aim of the project is to develop national initiatives promoting safer use of electronic media and enhance protection of the vulnerable, particularly children, against the downside of the Internet, including cyberbullying. The OIS also makes relevant information available, through its website, on linked sites and through its publications, to children and young people and their parents.

One of the booklets produced by the OIS focuses specifically on the issue of cyberbullying. In addition, a leaflet entitled Combat Cyberbullying was produced by the OIS for International Safer Internet Day, which took place on 11 February last. Copies of this leaflet in soft and hard copy format are available from the OIS. The OIS also works closely with the Garda Síochána and contributes material for use in the Garda schools programme. The Minister would also like to mention that his colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, has undertaken an extensive awareness raising programme on bullying, including cyberbullying, for use in schools.

As the Deputy knows, bullying, including cyberbullying, may constitute an offence under existing legislation. Harassment is an offence under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The Prohibition of Incitement to Racial Religious or National Hatred Act Act 1989 was enacted to prohibit incitement to hatred on account of race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. The Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 permits the retention of and access to data for the purposes of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting serious offences. Cyberbullying may be an offence under any of these Acts. The Minister is aware that the Deputy has proposed legislation on cyberbullying. He would like to thank the Deputy for his interest and work in this area. In November 2013, the Law Reform Commission published its fourth annual programme of law reform. As part of this programme, the commission will examine the topic of cyberbullying as an element of the project on crime affecting personal safety, privacy and reputation including cyberbullying.

In view of the existing legislation and of the work of the Law Reform Commission, the Minister does not intend to legislate on cyberbullying at this time. The Minister will, of course, look carefully at the commission's report when it is furnished to him. The Deputy will recall that the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, announced at the end of November 2013 that he was setting up the Internet content governance advisory group to consider, among other things, emerging issues in the area of online content and the general impact on the lives of children and young people of bullying and harassment online. The group will take submissions from the public and interested groups. The Minister understands that it is due to report to him in the summer. As part of this process, the Minister will be very interested to hear from Deputies who have a particular interest in this area.

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