Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)

I very much agree with the Deputy and also agree with the point she made that a very dangerous reshaping of expectations regarding what is permissible and how we should engage with each other has taken place due to the availability of content and young minds being exposed to it. While I appreciate her scepticism given the importance of this issue, all I can do is genuinely underline to her the action that the European Union is taking and the role that we are taking here in Ireland through our regulator and through the actions of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to respond to the important and worrying behaviour that is now taking place regarding access to material and content that young boys and girls and teenagers should not have access to. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, is very much aware of this.

On the final point the Deputy made regarding the ability to openly discuss these matters in a respectful but appropriate way, by her raising this issue here today, she is playing her role in it. The Government will continue to respond to an issue that we know is so important.

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