Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend Senator Freeman on introducing this Bill in the House. I thank the Minister of State for attending to listen to this debate. Undoubtedly, the Bill deals with an important area on which we need to catch up very quickly. As others have mentioned, it is a very fast-moving space. It is scary for a parent to realise the dangers that exist. When one closes one's own door, one believes one is protecting one's children from predators but the predators are coming into one's home and can contact and communicate with very young children. It requires a lot of vigilance and education on the part of parents but it also requires us to act in these Houses. Therefore, I commend Senator Freeman on introducing this Bill. It is good to have this debate. Fianna Fáil will be supporting this Bill in principle but will be introducing in the coming weeks its own Bill on the establishment of an office of a digital safety commissioner. It is very good that we are having this debate tonight. I hope it is the start of a genuine, combined and concerted effort to tackle the dangers posed by online activity.