Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend Senator Freeman on getting the Bill to Committee Stage. I spoke in support of it on Second Stage. On the section, we need to try to do something about social media. Much of the work done on it is piecemeal because it is such a massive area that one can throw up one's hands and ask where one should start. Senator Freeman has started with the protection of the most vulnerable. I would hate to be a parent of young children today. I am glad my children just had the Bebo stage and moved on and have the maturity to have resilience and stand up for themselves. I do not know how I would protect them in this day and age. It is up to legislators to strongly protect our children, the most vulnerable in society.

Mental Health Warriors, along with carers and representatives of many other vulnerable groups, held a protest outside the gates of Leinster House at 1 p.m. today to demand extra mental health supports from the Government. Many of the parents at the protest, including a member of the Mental Health Warriors, have lost a child to suicide. Many of them lost a ten year old, an 11 year old, a 12 year old, a 13 year old or a 14 year old. Social media has had a direct impact in that regard. The mother of Nicole Fox Fenlon, who committed suicide at the age of 21 following severe online bullying, is calling for legislation in this area and for it to be known as Coco's law.If New Zealand, Australia and Germany - all these other progressive countries - can do something, why are we so slow to react to a phenomenon that has overtaken every means of socialisation? Regarding the naive innocence we had, our parents probably did not think we had it but looking back on it now, we were innocent. A child loves the wonders, adventures and excitement of the world and believes that he or she can be whatever he or she wants to be but is faced with an onslaught by nefarious disgruntled individuals, be they adults or children. Let us start somewhere.

Facebook is a joke. I can put that on the record. Its response to this House and the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs was to basically say how glorious it is. It took zero responsibility for the poison it permitted to be spread. It sits back and lets it be spread. The Minister should support Senator Freeman's Bill because we must start somewhere.