Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to add my few brief words. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I compliment Senator Higgins on the fine piece of work she has brought to the House which has been shaped very much by her experiences. She did not leave it at this, and interacted with many other people who have suffered serious bullying online. The amount of work and research which has gone into the Bill is very much to be commended.

We all realise the rapid development of many forms of new technology and digital media bring many great opportunities for business and the media. It eases communication, particularly in connecting people throughout the world, and all of this is very much to be welcomed. In the main, it is used very responsibly. However, as the Minister of State said earlier, huge risks come with it, such as online sexual exploitation and the online bullying of young people. Examples have been given during the debate. Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen several young people take their own lives as a result of being abused online. When the good is weighed up with the bad we must wonder whether we have progressed that much. If we have people whose lives have been destroyed as a result of improvements in technology is it worth it? Are we paying too high a price for progress?

Senator Healy Eames referred to the fact that the first thing young people and adults do when they going to places of entertainment and restaurants is inquire about Wi-Fi. All eateries should ban the use of mobile phones and technology. Recently I saw six people, two adults and four youngsters, sitting at a table in a restaurant. Not one syllable was uttered by those four youngsters during the two hours I was on the premises. The two adults interacted the entire time but the youngsters did not. It is a whole new world but it is a dangerous world.