Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I urge the Government to protect children online. What children are exposed to online is absolutely incredible, in particular the level of bullying that they experience. Many years ago, if a child was bullied it was confined to school or a football club. In the online world, it happens 365 days a year and could happen every hour of the day. This technology is not new, yet the Government has done so little. That is the truth. It has allowed tech companies to lead the way and we are in the ha'penny place.

Some 40% of Irish schoolchildren report cyber-bullying. Almost half of the children in this country are a victim of cyber-bullying. Some 36% never tell anyone. It is a silent crime and children suffer in silence. Hotline.ie processed almost 30,000 child sexual abuse reports in one year. There is a significant level of grooming in this space.

The victims and their families are affected not just by words; it is much greater than that. Erin Gallagher, at just 13 years of age, lost her life to suicide following bullying on ask.fm. Ciara Pugsley also lost her life following online harassment at just 15 years of age. I ask the Minister to take the ball and prioritise this. This evening, in homes across the country, children are suffering and being harassed online and their parents and teachers may never know about it. Australia has taken the lead. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we need to be proactive and protect our children. I urge the Minister to prioritise this very serious issue.

See this speech in context