Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to see the Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Bill 2022 before the House today. I support my colleague Senator Flynn in proposing it. A number of terms have been used to replace the term "child pornography", such as "child sexual exploitation material", "child sexual abuse material" and "child sexual abuse imagery". Such phrases go to greater lengths to convey the gravity and severity of these crimes against children by placing the nature of the crime in the title or the term.

I have spoken in this House on several occasions about safeguarding children and women in this country. I am glad that Senator Flynn has spotted that our law is not up to date in this regard. I am delighted that we are acting on it now. Various Departments, particularly the Department of Justice, may have to go through their online articles or posts to update any uses of the phrase that might be found to ensure continuity across the board. Our legislation is obviously the most important place to do that.

This Bill touches on an important issue that is uncomfortable to talk about. I wish to hear more talk about the dangers posed by online grooming, the exposure of children to pornography by adults and by other children, and the role that is played by pornography in sexual and gender-based violence. I commend Senator Flynn on putting this amendment forward.