Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo the concerns and views expressed by my friend and colleague, Senator Cassells. The Oireachtas media committee will shortly publish a report on the future of media. I hope we will be able to facilitate a debate in the Houses on the findings of that report and, more generally, on the media in Ireland.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been praising Irish athletes, the role of Athletics Ireland in promoting and supporting young athletes and the extraordinary success of our athletes at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. I am certain the Acting Leader shares my disgust at the levels of online abuse directed at Rhasidat Adeleke. It is absolutely appalling that such abuse is being experienced by a most outstanding athlete who has achieved so much on behalf of this country; far more than some of those who hide behind anonymous Twitter handles to carry out that abuse. The sort of racist and abusive language she is subjected to has no place online or offline. It reflects a rising culture of racism and xenophobia that we are, unfortunately, beginning to see in this country. We have seen elements of it in these Houses. There is a responsibility on all of us in public life to call it out. I continue to support all our athletes. They are doing wonders for our country and not just in terms of their achievements. They are also, including Rhasidat Adeleke, amazing role models. We in this House must call out the racist language we are, unfortunately, increasingly hearing.