James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There continues to be an almost total vacuum in the regulation of online campaigning. Concerns have been heightened by recent revelations of high profile campaigns in recent weeks. The Taoiseach will be aware of the Bill I introduced last year, the Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017. I wrote to the Taoiseach about it last week and my party leader has also raised it with the Taoiseach several times in recent weeks. The Bill passed Second Stage last December and last night the joint committee on communications considered the Bill and decided to prioritise its passage or ease its scrutiny including extra meetings as required. I also note that Mr. Martin Fraser, Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach, highlighted the Bill in his report which was published last night, indicating the real issues that it raised and the need for regulation in this area.

As the Taoiseach himself said in relation to another Bill, Report and Committee Stage are the very place for amendments to be tabled, scrutiny to occur and discussions to take place. In light of the very real need for this legislation to be enacted, will the Taoiseach withdraw the Government's opposition to the Bill and engage constructively with myself and colleagues on the joint committee for communications to advance the legislation in a constructive fashion?

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