Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members of the House who have contributed with substantive points throughout the debate and discussion this afternoon on a significant and important topic in the times we live in. As the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, said in his opening statement, the online safety of our children and young people is a top priority for the Government and all of us. We all want our children to enjoy themselves online, be able to connect with people and find out about the world they live in, so it is essential we make sure that children do not see illegal, harmful or inappropriate content. The effective regulation of online platforms is essential when it comes to creating a safe online environment for young people.

It is fair to say that in recent years we have made significant progress in establishing Coimisiún na Meán and bringing the legislative underpinnings of the online safety framework forward. In doing so, we have sought to ensure an coimisiún’s sustainability by enabling it to fund its activities through levies on regulated entities. We gave it a kick-start with Exchequer funding and extensive sanction to recruit staff. We are seeking to make regulation seamless and efficient by co-locating regulatory functions in an coimisiún. We see the fruits of this investment and progress today. The online safety code applies in full. An coimisiún is supervising the online safety framework and it is well on its way to a staff complement of 300. The legislation provides for significant financial sanctions in the case of non-compliance and continued non-compliance can lead to criminal sanctions for senior management.

The Minister outlined to the House where we stand in terms of implementing the framework. Under the Digital Services Act, DSA, it is the European Commission that is the lead enforcer and we have just seen the Commission conclude an investigation with a fine of over €120 million for the platform, X. Of course, the aim of regulation is not to impose massive fines but to achieve compliance and enhanced online safety. There are quite a few examples of platforms taking the necessary steps to bring themselves into compliance rather than face those fines.

We are still at the beginning stage for online safety. We know that algorithms and recommender systems can have harmful impacts on users, especially children, so we wait with anticipation for the outcome of the European Commission’s investigation into TikTok and Meta on these matters. An coimisiún stands ready to assist the European Commission in its work under the DSA. I know, however, that none of this is much comfort to colleagues in this House, other elected politicians and candidates who have been subject to abuse and bullying online. I reiterate the importance of reporting any such incidents to the relevant platform in the first place. An coimisiún wants people to report content and, if anyone is dissatisfied with a platform’s response, he or she can bring it to Coimisiún na Meán.

Members will be aware that an coimisiún’s investigations into platforms are around how they deal with complaints, so it is aware of issues in this area. The more evidence an coimisiún has, the better equipped it will be to focus and target its supervision and enforcement functions. That is why awareness is so important. Coimisiún na Meán has been running a variety of public awareness campaigns since its establishment, illustrating that online safety is a whole-of-society issue. It is co-operating with, for example, the Department of education and Webwise on educational resources, as well as receiving welcome support from the Department of Health for a two-pronged awareness campaign that is currently running, aimed at both children and parents.

However, within online safety, the top priority is robust age verification. It is vital to protect children from harmful content online. That is why we are working with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, OGCIO, on incorporating age verification in Ireland’s digital wallet. In addressing age verification, we must seek to ensure there are trustworthy systems in place that are interoperable and respect users’ rights, including data protection rights. The aim is to commence an extensive pilot next year and we expect that those who are committed to online safety will be happy to engage.

It is important to reiterate that robust age verification is not a stalking horse for a ban on children accessing social media. We are all aware of Australia’s initiative in this regard but, for Ireland, we think it is important that any such decision is taken at EU level with other member states. However, as the Minister said, there is no universal view on this across the EU, nor in Ireland. The initiative of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, with regard to an expert panel to look at the matter is important. Whatever decisions we make, we need to listen to children and have regard to their rights, while protecting them from harm.

With respect to the future, the Minister has said that online safety will be his top priority during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union next year. We will engage with children and young people in this regard. As outlined, significant progress has been made through legislation and regulation. Considerations are being given to future next steps.

It is also important that we educate and raise awareness among the general public of Ireland's online safety network, the obligations of platforms, the rights of users and the role of Coimisiún na Meán.

In conclusion, regulation is not a silver bullet. We need to support parents and families to have those difficult conversations with their children. Online safety is a whole-of-society issue and a whole-of-government priority. From a regulatory perspective, we have made good progress but we have more to do.

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