Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate which is timely and appropriate. I am happy to support the addition of hate speech and hate crimes to the EU list of crimes that are indictable. As Deputies we all appreciate the importance of freedom of speech. While we should be allowed freedom of expression inside this Chamber and beyond, the majority of us appreciate also that there are limits to that. Freedom of speech is not an absolute right. There is a threshold beyond which we should not stray. Reassuringly, that threshold or bar is quite high, as Deputy Bruton pointed out. It allows us the opportunity to have very robust debate and discussion, which is essential. Thesis, antithesis and synthesis are central tenets of a democratic society. When we come into the Chamber we should always be mindful that we are here to trade ideas rather than insults.

I am reassured by the advice of the Attorney General that if we decide to opt in to this proposal, it does not cause us any constitutional problems at the moment. If any directives ensue out of this proposal there will be an opportunity to go into granular detail and decide to opt in or out thereafter.

Apart from any directives, legislation or regulations, as public representatives we should be leading by example in social media and discourse. We all know Deputies and colleagues who are quite active on social media at night and then the following morning they are on local radio complaining about cyber-bullying and how it is affecting our teenagers, causing self-harm, suicides and so on. It is very important that we lead by example.

Deputies from Government and Opposition benches were keen to point out the dangers of social media. I love social media. It is a wonderful tool provided it is used properly. It is important that it stays social rather than becoming antisocial or unsocial media. A lot of people have weaponised social media and used it to radicalise and polarise society. When I look at what is happening in the UK and the US, I hope the same situation does not occur in Ireland.

I have been fortunate to work in a number of different workplaces before coming to Leinster House. There does not seem to be any voluntary code of conduct for the use of social media by employees in Leinster House including Deputies. Perhaps that is something we could look at through the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform or the Business Committee. Maybe the Whips could come together and come up with a one or two-page document setting out the standards by which we should conduct ourselves inside the Chamber and on social media. I will leave it with the Ceann Comhairle. I do not think one exists. We should recognise that many teenagers and people in general are looking at how we conduct ourselves both verbally and on social media. They are taking the beat from us and behaving accordingly. I am happy to support the proposal. It is appropriate, sensible, proportionate and reasonable.

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