Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 21:

In page 8, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following:

“PART 5

AMENDMENT OF BROADCASTING ACT 2009

Definition (Part 5)

5. In this Part, “Act of 2009” means the Broadcasting Act 2009.”.

Amendments Nos. 21 and 32 are of a technical nature and provide for the inclusion of subsequent amendments to the Broadcasting Act as well as consequential amendments to the Long Title of the Bill. Amendment No. 22 is a technical amendment to update the definition of “electronic communications network” in the Broadcasting Act 2009 as per the European Electronic Communications Code and the EU directive. Amendments Nos. 23 to 28, inclusive, relate to terrorist content online. I propose to take these amendments together as they are inter-related.

The amendments to the Broadcasting Act 2009 extend the existing powers of Coimisiún na Meán under Part 8B of the Broadcasting Act to investigate and impose sanctions to include infringements under the EU regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online. The EU regulation provides that designated competent authorities in member states can issue removal orders requiring hosting service providers anywhere in the EU to remove terrorist content so that it is not accessible to the public online. An Garda Síochána has been designated as the Irish competent authority to issue such removal orders under the regulation.

There terrorist content online regulation also requires Ireland to designate a competent authority to impose penalties on hosting service providers based in Ireland that commit infringements under the terrorist content online regulation. Under the Broadcasting Act, Coimisiún na Meán already has a role with regard to harmful online content and it has detailed powers to investigate and sanction contraventions. The Government has decided that it should be designated as the Irish competent authority to impose penalties for infringements under the terrorist content online regulation. I thank the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and her officials for engaging with mine in this regard. These amendments are necessary to extend the existing powers of Coimisiún na Meán under Part 8B of the Broadcasting Act to investigate and impose sanctions to include infringements under the terrorist content online regulation. After enactment, Coimisiún na Meán will be designated as the competent authority to impose these penalties.

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