Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 159:

In page 77, between lines 38 and 39, to insert the following: "(6) The Minister or the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and Media may write to the Commission and request that the Commission consider a potential new category of harmful content and upon receipt of such a request the Commission shall evaluate such requests and may consider making a proposal in respect of such a new category.".

Amendment No. 159 seeks to insert a new subsection, subsection (6), into section 139A of the Bill providing that the Minister or the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media may write to the commission and request that the commission consider a potential new category of harmful content and upon receipt of such a request, the commission would evaluate such requests and may consider making a proposal in respect of providing such a new category.

Section 139A as it stands sets out the interpretation of harmful online content and age-inappropriate content. I think it is hugely important that we create flexibility within the legislation for the Minister and the joint committee to suggest new categories of harmful content as they see fit and for the commission to consider and evaluate the requests to account for future changes in online behaviour but also to account for potential oversights that are not presently provided for or spoken to in the legislation.