Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to the House and commend Senator Freeman on bringing this Bill forward. I think we are all singing from the one hymn sheet in this particular regard, although my hymn will be sung before the Minister's because we intend to publish a Bill in the coming days to legislate for the establishment of a digital safety commissioner. That will happen very shortly. Fianna Fáil will support this Bill in principle but believes that the establishment of a digital safety commissioner is a more appropriate approach. In 2008, while in government, Fianna Fáil established the Office for Internet Safety. This office operated from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and its explicit purpose was to keep children safe from online harm. Sadly, successive Fine Gael-led governments have failed to resource and develop this office. This is very important legislation.