Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is what we did in Knocknagree on the border of Cork and Kerry. However, today's world is far smaller. One can Facetime one’s nephews or nieces and my father can Facetime his grandchildren and watch them performing tasks on the farm, which is extraordinary.

I wish to raise the issue of loot boxes in the gaming industry as part of this debate. It is a different issue but I wish to commend a friend of mine, Eoin Barry, who has extensive involvement in the gaming industry and enlightened me on the issue of loot boxes. The debate on loot boxes is taking place internationally and nationally. It is of importance because they are unregulated. The question of whether loot boxes allow and enable gambling should form part of this debate on digital safety. All Members wish to protect minors and that is the import of the Bill but loot boxes and the unlimited spending associated with them must be part of this discussion. Greater emphasis must be placed on parental controls because some parents do not know what such controls can be about or do not know how to put them in place. Parental controls may also be bypassed by some children or teenagers. I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Sweeney of the European Video Game Federation on this issue. It is a global conversation of which we must be part. Many would argue that loot boxes are akin to gambling and are targeted at young people and minors. The issues of regulation and law is one to which we must return. There is the potential for the normalisation of gambling behaviour in minors through video games. The World Health Organization, WHO, report on gaming addiction was published this week.I hope we can return to that issue. I compliment Eoin Barry on the work he has done with me in arranging meetings and engaging with the gaming industry. We need robust legislation on gaming and loot boxes in Ireland. Many countries are already having a discussion on this.

Notwithstanding some of the issues with the legislation, Senator Craughwell's Bill is an important one. We need to provide a learning benefit and tackle the negative effects of unsupervised use of digital technology. The Minister has been involved with schools through issuing circulars and engaging in communications. I commend the school in County Kerry on its proactivity on this issue. I saw the priest about whom we heard speaking on television last week. I am conscious of the Education (Parent and Student Charter) Bill, which will, by law, require all schools to consult parents, teachers and students on a charter of rights and entitlements.

I welcome that this Bill will proceed to Committee Stage. It is difficult to impose restrictions in the school community, as the Bill seeks to do. Smartphones, iPads and other devices can be of benefit to a school community and in the classroom. At the same time, we must recognise difficulties with cyberbullying and also physical bullying in schools. It is important to have this conversation and it is one that we did not have when I was a student and teacher. At this stage, telephones were banned in schools and any pupils found with one was in trouble. Teachers also found themselves in trouble if we used mobile telephones but that is a different issue.

Digital technology is transforming our world. CoderDojo has been one of the best changes we have seen to the curriculum. I commend the Minister on the way he has pioneered many different types of change in the education curriculum. I do not say that in a patronising way but as somebody who does not believe education is about chalk and talk. It has moved far beyond that. I sound like an old man reminiscing. When I started teacher training the acetate sheet was revolutionary. Today, we have interactive whiteboards and various means of communicating and educating, which is brilliant. Digital technologies must be used in teaching and learning to enhance and improve the experience of the child. If the Bill can help achieve that, it will have been a worthwhile exercise.

I commend Senator Craughwell on his proactivity and thank the Minister for not opposing the Bill. We need to have a conversation to enable us to make progress on the issues that have been outlined. This is an important issue which will not go away. We need to continue to have this debate and conversation in partnership with all the stakeholders in the education sphere.