Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know this is an issue that parents in particular are worried about. As a society, we need to protect our children. It is disturbing how disgusting predators can use technology to get in touch with children and communicate with them in a nefarious way. I know that is something everyone in the House is concerned about.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, is organising a summit on 8 March that will be focused on digital safety. The event will bring everyone to the summit, including those from the education sector, the Garda, the technology sector, children's advocates and all those groups. It will be an opportunity to discuss what we should do and put together a package of measures that we can then implement.

No proposal for a digital safety commissioner has yet been brought to Government, but certainly I am open to the idea. I would need to understand how that office would work. Let us not forget that we are dealing with the Internet, the world wide web. We need to understand how that would work and make a difference because it is important that whatever we do is effective.

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