Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to talk about cyberbullying and, in particular, gender-based cyberattacks that are taking place against people across this country and continent. We have made a lot of progress recently in terms of legislative initiatives and making it clear that certain online activity must be illegal and cannot be tolerated. It is important we set down those markers to recognise the damage this kind of activity does to individuals, particularly women, who seem to be much more often the target of that activity, and to society as a whole. In that regard, we need to move into spheres that are less legislative and more campaign based, to inform people about their obligations and the risks involved in posting abusive posts, trolling, posting images that are illegal and that kind of thing.

I acknowledge the work of Ms Maria Walsh, MEP, in the European Parliament in that regard. Ms Walsh and Ms Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, a Greek MEP, both members of the European People's Party, have called for a campaign from the European Commission to tackle gender-based cyber-violence against people. That is the kind of measure I would like to see us adopt here. There is room for us to have a debate on this issue and to bring the Minister for Justice before the Seanad to discuss what measures the Department of Justice can put in place to mount a campaign in this jurisdiction specifically targeted at the people who are involved in this kind of activity, to make it clear to them just how much damage they do, just how unacceptable it is and just how criminal it is so that if people are going to engage in this kind of activity, they know the risks involved, that it is illegal and there will be criminal consequences at the end of it.