Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will not detain Members or officials for too long because I am sure people are anxious to get away. It would be remiss of me not to start by paying a big tribute to the eight women and three men on the committee, including Deputies Rabbitte and Mitchell, who have done an enormous amount of work. It is important that we get to work on implementing the 18 recommendations as quickly as possible, and I know the Minister will be very committed to that.

Our children and teenagers are at risk from many unknowns in the digital era. Cyberbullying is more often than not a silent predator. Knowledge, communication and oversight are more important now than ever. One thing is certain - what goes online stays online forever. How many children and teenagers have been tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child or teenager using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile telephones? I commented a few days ago that the telephone was invented for people to speak to each other, but it is no longer used for that. As a politician, I must try to keep up with everything that is happening but every few months there is a new way of getting messages. One finds that one cannot keep up with all the messages. Somebody might say "I sent you a message on WhatsApp and you did not reply". There are so many outlets for getting information, even for us, that it is absolutely impossible to keep up.

Research shows that probably 15% of primary school children are the victims of cyberbullying. It is probably almost the same for children in post-primary school.

Those figures are constantly growing. We have to tackle the issue and be serious about it. There is a general acceptance across the political arena that it is urgent. The people who use technology to bully may say things online or by text that they would never say face to face. They need to know they are responsible for their words in cyberspace as well as in the real world. If it comes down to it, the source of the abuse, the computer or phone being used, can be identified by the Garda.

I put together a newsletter with my staff and we circulated it. Of all the issues I have dealt with in my constituency, the huge response I got to this made me feel that it is probably the most important issue. In doing that research I found disturbing things. Many parents are afraid to tackle this issue. If their child is in the bedroom missing for half an hour, they know they are on the phone or some other device connected to the Internet. They are trying to balance not having a row with their child with still being responsible and making sure they know what is going on. They are afraid to set time limits or speak about it. In some cases they are allowing their children to dictate the pace. The one thing to come out of this is that parents must act strongly in this, be responsible and set the parameters. They need to get into a sensible conversation. It happens in our house. If somebody goes missing, we know where they are. It is important to say, "Hey, you've been at that for half an hour now, get out and kick a football or do something else." We need to engage them in a certain way.

In restaurants, many people have social media items to entertain their children, which is shocking. There is no conversation and they are playing away on some little device. It may be safe enough because the parents are there to regulate or watch what is going on. Is it not shocking, even at mealtime, even when people go out for an hour or an hour and a half, that they end up trying to keep the children quiet? Sometimes when they are very young, of course, it might be hard to keep them quiet. As a way of entertaining them I just do not like it. We need to talk to parents about those types of things. We need to engage with everybody.

I compliment everybody involved. I have no doubt that the Minister will do everything to get this matter sorted out as quickly as possible. I encourage parents, teenagers and everybody to engage in this.

Some of the stuff that appears on Facebook is horrific. Even with comments about people in politics, business or communities, I cannot understand some of the appalling language and bitterness. I appeal from the Oireachtas this evening for all people doing this to take stock and stop it. It is bad for society.

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