Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We were all confounded by the latest threat and app in terms of the appropriateness of the Internet. I encourage everyone, including parents, teachers and students, to get involved in the six-week public consultation launched this week on online safety legislation to improve online safety and to ensure that children especially can be protected online.

For far too long we have left the door open for all sorts of awful things to sneak in. We must ensure that this does not happen. Fianna Fáil has repeatedly called for the establishment of a regulator for technology giants or an online safety commissioner who would oversee a system that would protect consumers. This is an urgent matter and, frankly, the State has dragged its heels in terms of this matter.

Online platforms are currently required to remove content which is a criminal offence under Irish and EU laws. However, our laws do not meaningfully prevent such things as the Momo challenge, which had the children of Ireland up all night all last week. The question I heard repeatedly being asked was what can be done about this matter. I want giant tech companies to take greater steps to keep their users safe online. We would be one of the first countries to have such regulations. Since we are home to so many of these companies, we need to lead the way. I call on members of the public to make submissions because it is important that they do so.

I second the call by Senator Boylan to invite the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, in here for a debate.