Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to speak briefly in support of this amendment. It is not only good practice in this area in terms of the participation of youth in important decisions and decisions in areas that affect them, but it also has a strong practical purpose. Young people identify much earlier than others the new trends and what is happening in society. The Minister of State will be aware a number of our amendments, which we will deal with later, relate not only to harmful content online but harmful conduct online in terms of how vulnerable persons might be targeted by particular microtargeting. A large number of the concerns of civil society about this Bill relate to young people, how they are targeted online, engage online, how their data are used and what kind of messaging is sent to them. However, there is also an empowerment message. This audiovisual directive is also about positive empowerment. The general data protection regulation went some way towards this, the idea of people owning their own data, but similarly the spirit that people should feel empowered to help shape the online spaces, which we share and on which people spend so much of their time.

A practical reason this panel is useful is in addressing other aspects of harmful behaviour. Sadly, some of them only come to light through the courts system through which those with resources can vindicate, track down or pursue an issue to address a concern. Young people often will not be in a position to have the resources to navigate either legally or bureaucratically, or even through political contact or connections in the world, a way to address their concerns. There are not enough routes for young people to raise flags or raise their concerns to highlight issues. It should not fall to individuals or, sadly, as we have seen so often, to families of young people after the fact talking about harmful behaviour or harmful content and how it affected the young person in their lives, sometimes with tragic effect. Something like a youth advisory council is almost an early warning system whereby, separate from individual complaints, and we will discuss the individual complaint mechanism as the Bill evolves and it is crucial to its operation, there is a way for young people to talk, in practical effect, about what is happening, what are the trends and, if there are new regulations, what ways are being found around them.It is an early warning system, as well as a space for positive ideas for inclusion and empowerment. To my mind, it is an extremely practical idea that would aid and support the work of a new commission.