Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together.

The Government established an interdepartmental group to consider the security of the election process and disinformation. The first report of the group was published on 17 July 2018 and looked at issues concerning the security of the electoral process, taking into account risks that apply across the whole spectrum. The report found that risks to the electoral system in Ireland are relatively low as a result of mitigation factors already in place. However, the spread of disinformation online and the risk of cyberattacks on the electoral system pose more substantial risks. The finding was in line with EU level and recent international experience.

The report identifies a number of proposals to deal with the gaps identified. It also acknowledges that actions arising from such proposals require widespread support from both political parties and civil society. The next steps, as agreed by Government, are to expedite the establishment of the electoral commission and regulate the transparency of online political advertising. This will build upon some of the principles proposed in the Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill from Deputy James Lawless and recent discussions in the Dáil and the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

Regulation of online political advertising is to be considered, in the first instance, by way of public consultation, which was launched by the group on 21 September. Views can be submitted up to 19 October and the consultation will form the basis for an open policy forum thereafter. The forum will involve all relevant stakeholders across industry, academia, political parties, the media and civil society. It will seek to identify policy solutions that respect the right to freedom of expression and relevant EU law while promoting the transparency necessary for open political discourse in a democracy that will protect the electoral processes from hidden influences and disinformation. The open policy forum is planned to be held before the end of November 2018, after the presidential inauguration, as we believe it would not be appropriate to hold it during an election campaign.

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