Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to take a look at the detail of what the Deputy is asking for. This is primarily a matter for the companies involved. We cannot force them or we are certainly not proposing to do that in this call but I will take a look at it. The substantive point made by the Deputy is a very relevant one. As a Government, we have asked a number of people to look at this and come back with recommendations to Government in terms of how we can protect the electoral system in the future and not undermine the positive capacity that is there on social media platforms.

Anyone who has been involved in the past two referendum campaigns in Ireland will know that much of that conversation took place on new media and engaged a much younger population than is often engaged in referendum campaigns. That was a really positive and good thing. We need to make sure we try to protect media freedom and freedom of speech and ensure that all views have an opportunity to be put across on all media platforms, but at the same time we need to make sure the more sinister elements that have certainly been involved in trying to skew election results internationally do not impact on Ireland in a negative way. Trying to get that balance right is not easy. Virtually every country in the western world, many of them with far more resources than we have, is struggling to deal with this issue.

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