Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo the universal support for the spirit of the Bill and, having read the Bill, it is not motivated by a desire to censor or in some way restrict freedom of expression in any way but is motivated by a duty of care towards children.

Smartphones really proliferated in the mid-noughties, so we now have a generation who are reaching majority who have been exposed to that technology in a way that perhaps we in this Chamber have not. I was very interested in the research cited by Senator O'Loughlin into the psychological changes that can occur, particularly in minors when they are exposed to this kind of material. We know from research into controlled substances and alcohol that they have a disproportionately effect on children and teens. We have a great responsibility, therefore, to do everything we can to protect children, especially with the ubiquity of screens and smartphones.

Even in respect of the observation that children as young as six year of age can access pornography, I think any child with a phone in their hand can accidentally access it or be exposed to it. However, it is not beyond our ingenuity and our collective talents to deal with this. I rather suspect that Senator Seery Kearney is correct that the solution to this will ultimately be driven by artificial intelligence and the manner in which that can be harnessed for this purpose.

It is a very good conversation to have. I welcome the fact the Minister is not opposing the Bill. As Senator McDowell said, it is legislation that could be amended and refined. It is a good starting point and this is an extremely important conversation. As a parent to four teenagers and young adults, I would share the concerns expressed by Senator McGreehan about consent and how access to this material can blur the boundaries and the lines of understanding around consent. That has the capacity to destroy lives. It can have life-limiting and life-altering consequences for people, so it is an extremely important conversation for us to have. I welcome the Bill and the discussion that flows from it.