Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I hope that we will be able to move through Report and Final Stages a lot more quickly than we moved through Committee Stage as we considered many of these issues in detail during those debates. I put on record our thanks to the Minister and her officials for their engagement not only in this House, but also privately, in seeking to address some of the concerns and suggestions we had. Many of the specific recommendations have been taken on board and we are particularly happy that the designation of an online safety commissioner is specifically included in the legislation. As the Minister has mentioned, this was specifically sought by those of us who sit on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media. That is why Senator Cassells and I brought forward our very specific amendment, which we will be happy to withdraw in light of the amendment proposed by the Government. It is welcome that the recruitment process for the online safety commissioner will start quite soon. I hope that, all going well, he or she will be in place before the end of the year. The question is then one of ensuring the office is adequately resourced. That will be vital. These will be budgetary considerations but the establishment of this commission, which will be one of the most powerful regulators in the State, and this office in particular, which we and many organisations including the Children's Rights Alliance believe to be critically important, is welcome. We are very happy that the Minister is bringing forward these amendments. We support them strongly.