Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that the Transparent Referendum Initiative did an excellent job during the recent referendum campaign. Along with researchers in UCD, it did detailed analysis on what sort of advertising was happening during the campaign. Much of it was very positive. We do not want to stop all advertising in the digital world. Much of the advertising helped people on both sides to be involved, which is welcome.

When representatives from Facebook came before the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I asked if they would provide volumetric data on the amount of advertising that took place. The researchers in UCD and the Transparent Referendum Initiative are unable to get this data, which is vital to the real understanding of what happened. Similarly, my colleagues in the European Parliament asked Mark Zuckerburg if Facebook would provide this data. We have not yet received it. Will the Taoiseach add the Government's voice to the calls that Facebook provide data - in a way that is safe, secure and does not reveal any personal data - on how much advertising was paid for in order to help us get a picture of what happened. I support the comments of Deputies Micheál Martin and Howlin to the effect that we would work together, based on knowledge from sound research, as to what we do next in the matter of election advertising.

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