Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

It is important to emphasise the role of Coimisiún na Meán. In October 2024, it adopted Ireland's first online safety code, which obliges designated platforms to protect people, especially children, from harmful video and associated content.

People spend far too much of their lives looking at social media. We need to tell young people, and adults, that what they see on social media is not representative of the real world. It is a misrepresentative reflection of the world. As politicians and policymakers, we all need to emphasise that.

Great work is being done by Coimisiún na Meán. I take the Deputy's point regarding regulating online providers. He is not suggesting we do so but I emphasise that it is not easy to impose statutory requirements on them in the context of the powers we have. It must be done in an EU-wide context. We need to continuously emphasise that the type of behaviour that is advocated online is not acceptable and that a man or boy should never raise his hand to a woman.

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