Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I admit that I have concerns. I also admit and respect that the committee sat and discussed this for a long time. I am not a member of the committee and I was neither involved in this nor kept abreast of it.

There are issues with regard to public consultation, as Deputy Byrne said. In most public consultations many people do not get involved. They might miss the deadlines because of the way they are advertised and so on. It could be a simple thing relating to a road or something as serious as this. People simply do not see these things. We are all so busy in our lives and we do not see them. People may not be aware of it until something is brought to their attention by a discussion here, by meeting experts in the field or lobbyists or whomsoever.

It would be nice to get a full picture of the people who made contact with either the Department or officials who were dealing with this during the consultation and after the consultation finished. If representatives of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and paediatricians are concerned, then we must accept that as well and see the full list.

I understand Article 8 of the general data protection regulation suggests that 16 years of age is appropriate. The Minister has said that we cannot go against what is provided for in the GDPR. Either we can or we cannot. I am unsure whether we can.

Perhaps if we have a limit of 13 years, parents will be unhappy because the age of consent will be 13 years and they may prefer it to be 16 years. Are we going to be blocking the parents from exercising proper parental control and watching over their children? We know that if the age is 16 years the companies will adapt quickly. They probably have the apps ready for people between 13 and 16 years of age. It is a complex area. I have not heard anything to change my mind on it.

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