Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the decisions by Facebook and Google this week to place restrictions on online advertising on their platforms in respect of the upcoming referendum on the eighth amendment. I also want to raise the issue of campaign regulations in elections and referenda in Ireland more generally. Reports have emerged over the past few weeks that Irish voters have been targeted by a range of deeply worrying social media campaigns, mainly in the form of dark advertising paid for by overseas actors which feature blatant untruths, biased information and misrepresentations of the issue we will vote on in two weeks. What most disturbed me was that many of those advertisements were intended to come up during kids' YouTube clips such as cupcake making. Youth Defence advertisements were coming up in very strange places telling kids to ask questions of their parents that they should not be forced to ask until their parents feel it appropriate to have those conversations.

The move by Facebook and Google is timely and proportionate to the concerns raised affecting the "Yes" and "No" campaigns equally and allows for a level playing field where digital advertising will have an organic and no longer disproportionate reach based on opaque and unaccountable funding sources. I particularly recognise the role played by our colleague, Senator Higgins, and the media in uncovering these tactics, particularly The Times, Ireland, and Channel 4, which showed a segment on the issue last night that I encourage everyone to watch because it highlighted just how underhanded and worrying these techniques are. We should not have to rely on media investigations and the actions of private technology companies to safeguard the integrity of our democratic system. We are trying to regulate a 21st century campaign with 20th century campaign law which does not incorporate or address in any way the growth of the Internet and social media as a campaign tool and is not fit for purpose. The strict regulations that we apply to broadcast and print traditional media must now be replicated in the digital spheres particularly in the light of what we know to be true about the recent US presidential election, the Brexit vote and the growth and proliferation of fake news.

We need to also consider electoral reform as the referendum process has shown up several significant drawbacks in the system. We need to create a full-time electoral commission, further empower the Standards in Public Office Commission, create a larger role for the Referendum Commission in respect of fact-checking and responding to the debate, initiate a major update of the registration system to include e-registering and provide greater access to postal voting, arrangements for overseas and emigrant voting and for the removal of cumbersome administrative barriers such as a garda witnessing a simple change of address. These are not difficult or controversial ideas but they would make a significant impact on the workings and operation of our democratic process. Can the Leader invite the Minister of State with responsibility for electoral reform to update the House on his proposals in this area? I would also be happy to consider legislative reform in the terms of a Private Member's Bill and for any Senators to work with me on that.

I echo what the previous two speakers said about the CervicalCheck scandal. I was not here last week when the statements were being made but I was one of those who had to ring that helpline. For many years, I have had to have pre-cancerous cells removed. My last smear was the first in ten years that was clear and I wondered was that smear that I had celebrated wrong. There are 200 women in a much worse situation than me but I was left to question my own health after ten years of abnormal smears. I support anything that is said about accountability in this area.