Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, to the Chamber. The combined speeches of the proposer and seconder of the motion shall not exceed 16 minutes and all other Senators have six minutes.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I move:

“That Seanad Éireann:

recognises that: - we are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation;

- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we live, how we work, and how we interact as a society;

- Ireland has strong digital foundations with our well-established reputation as a digital hub, our exceptional talent base and our vibrant innovation ecosystem;

- Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future sets out the Government’s ambition to 2030 to strengthen our position as a digital leader and a global hub for applied AI innovation; agrees that: - Ireland has a robust online safety framework;

- the EU’s Digital Services Act and the creation of Coimisiún na Meán has brought to an end the era of self-regulation of big tech platforms;

- online safety, particularly for children and young people, is a priority for us all;

- new challenges will inevitably arise as technologies continue to evolve;

- we must maintain a modern, cohesive and well-resourced regulatory framework that is responsive to the evolving digital age; notes that: - Ireland will soon assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union;

- online safety will be a priority during the Presidency;

- as part of the Presidency, we will host an International AI and Digital Summit to showcase Ireland as a digital and regulatory hub; calls for: - Ireland to be a strong voice in Europe for a digital economy which supports competitiveness and innovation, while protecting data privacy and fundamental rights;

- the Government to ensure we reap the benefits of digital technologies and AI for growth and competitiveness and to enhance our public services;

- the Government to ensure that everyone in our society is empowered to succeed in a digital era, by fostering the skills, literacy and the societal trust necessary for a confident digital future;

- the Government to strengthen Ireland’s position as an EU centre of excellence and digital regulatory hub;

- Ireland’s Council Presidency to reflect our ambition to be at the forefront of digital innovation; and to advocate for a digital age of majority but will take action at domestic level, if necessary;

- our Presidency to prioritise the protection of women and children, in particular, from the misuse of digital tools;

- Ireland to advance the EU’s AI Act during our Presidency;

- Ireland to advocate for adding the AI generation of intimate abuse images to the list of prohibited practices in Article 5 of the AI Act;

- the Government to advocate for a decision on the ‘digital age of majority’ to be taken at EU level; and to work with like-minded countries to introduce age restrictions on the use of social media, concentrating on those under 16;

- the full implementation of Digital Ireland’s 20 high-level objectives and 90 specific deliverables;

- the prioritisation of deliverables for children and young people, including:

- supporting Coimisiún na Meán to improve awareness and reporting of AI-generated non-consensual intimate images;

- supporting robust age verification across the EU;

- implementing, with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, a wide scale pilot on age verification in conjunction with one or more of the major platforms, to run for several months to test technology and to ensure public buy in; and

- the support of schools and teachers through updated resources on online safety.”

Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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I second the motion.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Are the Senators sharing time?

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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Yes, Senator Curley and I will share time.

The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is very welcome to the Chamber. We really appreciate him being here. This is an important motion. We may have different views on this but we are all concerned about it. Another commitment we have to make - and our party, Fianna Fáil, is committed to it - is to make the online world safer for everybody, especially children and young people. Our children now are growing up online. It is not all bad. The Internet offers endless opportunities to learn, engage and play. However, it also presents serious risks which can have devastating consequences. We have seen, witnessed and heard them. This motion highlights online safety as a rapidly evolving area of Government policy. There are several cross-departmental collaborations on various related initiatives, including the recent publication of the national digital and AI strategy 2030, the implications of the EU AI Act and the development of an age verification tool. Because we are coming up to the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, starting 1 July, we also refer to that in the motion because we believe we can have key influence at that point in time.

The latest state of the digital decade report shows that Ireland continues to perform strongly, particularly in digital skills, business digitalisation and public service digitalisation. They are all key enablers of long-term competitiveness, and we have to welcome that. As one of the EU's best performers, Ireland is committed to building on its positioning to accelerate the digital transition right across its economy and society. Despite all that, however, we have to be mindful of the very real harms the online world presents. We can commit here that Ireland will use its Presidency to prioritise the protection of women and children, in particular, from the misuse of digital tools, including AI.

Senator Alison Comyn and I had the opportunity to be in Stormont two or three weeks ago and we heard from a really interesting lady called Kristina Wilfore, who set up an organisation called Reset Tech. She is well worth looking out for and watching. Her mission is to guard against digital threats to our security, our safety and our fundamental rights, to look at resetting the connection between media and democracy, to restore the promise of technology that works for people, keeps people safer and keeps democracy safe and to hold the biggest tech companies accountable to the values of a true democratic society by promoting new ideas around legislation, industry standards and consumer attitudes. We could ask: why has Reset Tech been set up now and why are we looking at this now? There is no doubt that the Internet has given us a lot. It has given us a lot of ideas, exposed us to new ideas, etc., and that is a great achievement, but it is very fragile and very easily exploited, manipulated and weaponised. A lot of people are making money for private gain in a way that is not good for democracy or the public good. We can see it all happening from day to day. We see our children and indeed ourselves addicted to smartphones, and that can lead to a lot of issues and challenges around mental health, anxiety and depression. Some people who have worked with Meta have come forward and said this. We also see foreign influences targeting elections. The public conversation can often be hijacked by algorithms, and those algorithms can push conflict and violence, which is concerning. Then when we look at the number of false accounts on social media pushing scams, spam, fake videos and conspiracy theories to grab all our attention and to profit at our expense, it is very concerning.

What can we do about it? We need action from society, from the tech companies and, of course, from the Government and from legislation. We also need work at EU level. The Government is in the process of implementing domestic legislation to give full effect to the EU AI Act in Ireland. The main supervision and enforcement provisions will come into effect from August 2026. That will provide a formal regulation for relevant surveillance authorities to engage with individual companies specifically in relation to the development, provision and deployment of AI systems. Alongside that, we will support an amendment of the AI Act at European level to expand the list of prohibited AI practices. That is really important.

As regards digital simplification, an omnibus package by the EU was published last November. It includes proposals to simplify rules in relation to AI, data and cybersecurity incident reporting. Again, that is very important.

I have highlighted the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU and that we will make online safety a priority issue there. We thank the Minister of State, Thomas Byrne, for all his excellent work on that. We had a meeting of the Joint Committee on European Affairs yesterday about the European Youth Forum and the youth engagement piece that we will hold. That is to get the perspectives of children and young people because "nothing for them without them". That is really important. Ireland will host an international AI and digital summit on 14 October 2026. That is a flagship event of the Presidency.

I want to speak a little about a youth workshop that our party, Fianna Fáil, held on 23 September 2025. It was part of an ongoing group of stakeholder engagement pieces. The following were some of the key findings. The participants were on average six years old when they first used a smart device, with some as young as four. As someone who has taught children of aged four, I am really concerned that just with a click, young people are finding access. A lot of this is happening in the home. I know there are issues and concerns about children using smartphones in school, but we have to start with the home and the parents as the primary educators. Participants reported spending an average of four hours a day at a minimum on social media. When a young mind is developing and when young people should be out socialising and talking to one another, spending four hours on a phone has to be very concerning. Some have access during lunch break to their phones, again losing that very valuable opportunity to play and to socialise. More concerning, however, was the fact that the young people reported having been exposed to violent content, extremist content and content promoting diet culture and excessive exercising on social media. This is eating disorders awareness week, and we have to be concerned about all that influence on our young people.

We have heard and understood that there are different views on the implementation of a social media ban for under-16s, as done in Australia. Young people themselves feel that it is not something they want. We have listened to other experts as well and they would say that if you ban something, it becomes more attractive and more alluring and people will find a way around the ban. It is therefore not as simple as that. That could be part of the response, but there are a myriad of other things we have to look at.We do need to communicate with young people. We also did an online parents' survey and the responses were quite different. Over 35% said their child received a smartphone between the ages of 11 and 13, whereas children said they were exposed at the ages of four and six. Parents did express major concern about their children's online exposure. More than 75% of the parents supported the smartphone ban in all schools. There are a number of takeaways and recommendations in the motion. I am very happy to support the motion and outline it here. I will hand over to my colleague, Senator Curley.

Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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I am glad to be bringing this motion today together with my party colleagues. Fianna Fáil is committed to making the online world safer for everyone, especially children and young people. We are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation. Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we live, work, learn and interact as a society. Ireland has strong digital foundations and a well-earned reputation as a global digital hub. Growing up online offers extraordinary opportunity. Our young people can learn, create, connect and innovate in ways previous generations never could. Alongside these opportunities come very real risks that can have devastating consequences. Generative AI holds enormous promise in healthcare, accessibility and enterprise but it is also being misused to create non-consensual intimate images, to produce harmful and extremist content and to exploit children and vulnerable individuals. The sharing of non-consensual intimate images is illegal. The generation of child sexual abuse material is illegal. The abuse of digital tools to harass or intimidate is illegal but enforcement and deterrence must keep pace with technological change. Ireland's online safety framework is strong. The Digital Services Act has ended the era of self-regulation. Coimisiún na Meán now has real supervisory and enforcement powers. The online safety code places obligations on platforms to remove harmful content and implement age assurance measures.

In my own constituency, I recently worked closely with Aoife Noone, founder of Think Smart Cyber, who hosted excellent online safety talks in Loughrea and Athenry. Those events brought together parents, teachers, a detective garda from the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, and a child and adolescent therapist. There is a reason Aoife is packing ballrooms all over Galway with frightened parents. What strikes me most is the fear that has gripped parents throughout my constituency. Parents want practical tools. They want clarity on threats like online grooming, algorithm-driven content and excessive screen time. They want to understand how social media affects the developing brain. Parents are petrified of the danger of online bullying, which has tragically cost many young lives. We need to get tougher on social media companies. When harmful content is reported, it needs to be removed instantly, not days later when extensive damage is done. Many parents do not feel equipped to navigate the online environments their children inhabit. We must support them. Ireland will soon assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Online safety will be a priority. That gives us a significant opportunity to shape Europe's digital future. We must be strong voice in Europe for a digital economy that supports innovation and competitiveness while protecting fundamental rights. In particular, we must prioritise the protection of women and children from the misuse of digital tools. That includes advocating for the addition of AI-generated intimate abuse images to the list of prohibited practices under Article 5 of the EU AI Act. Age verification is important to provide proportionate safeguards. If platforms profit from user engagement, they must accept responsibility for ensuring children are not exposed to pornography, extreme violence, grooming or algorithm-driven harmful content. These systems must be secure, privacy-preserving and trusted. If Ireland is to position itself as a centre of excellence in digital regulation, we must build systems that citizens have confidence in.

Many young people now receive their first smartphone before their teenage years. They spend hours each day on platforms engineered for engagement. Some have devices in their bedrooms without parental controls. Exposure to violent content, extremist narratives and distorted body image messaging is increasingly common. This is why this motion is timely. It recognises both the opportunity and the risk. It calls for full implementation of Digital Ireland's objectives, strengthened regulatory frameworks, and the prioritising of children and young people in our digital policy. Ireland's Presidency must reflect our ambition to be at the forefront of digital innovation and at the forefront of digital responsibility. We can be pro-innovation and pro-safety. We can support enterprise and protect fundamental rights. We can lead Europe, not just in digital competitiveness but in digital ethics. The digital transformation is not slowing down. AI is not going away. Social media is not disappearing. Let us ensure that Ireland leads with confidence, clarity and a commitment to protecting the most vulnerable while enabling opportunity for all.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call on Senator Mullen, I want to explain to Members that all amendments today are being discussed together. They have to be discussed within the Member's six-minute allocation. When Senator Mullen moves amendment No. 1, all other amendments must be moved at the end of the debate, not during each Member's six-minute slot. I ask Senator Mullen to move his amendment.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 1:

After the third paragraph under “agrees that:”, to insert the following paragraphs: “- such benefits as may exist for children in the use of social media are now clearly seen to be outweighed by the negative impact on children’s learning ability, mental health and general welfare of early and excessive exposure to online social media;

- the widespread availability of pornography in particular poses dangers to society, and especially to children and vulnerable persons, and that it must be recognised that any facilitation of access to pornography for children is itself a form of child sexual exploitation and abuse;”

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I second the amendment.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome this motion in general terms. There is lot that is good in it and a lot that I support. I am of the view that it does not go far enough. It clearly nods in the direction that online safety is something that has to be a priority in the context of pursuing the economic potential that big tech and AI in particular offer. Where we might differ is that there is a difference between something being a priority and something being the priority. There are a number of issues in play here. There is the unique role of the Irish regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, because so many big tech companies' platforms have their European headquarters in Ireland. There is the surge of new knowledge around the problems associated with early, by which I mean early in children's lives, and excessive use of smartphones, screens and social media. There is the horrendous damage being done by adult consumption of pornography, not just where it entails in its production and distribution the exploitation of children, but the very exposure of children to pornography is in itself a form of child abuse. I say that in light of what we know about the harms it does, the way it rewires their minds, the generation of negative attitudes between men and women and all the rest of it, which we can discuss at another time. There is the pushback against controls from those who espouse a libertarian philosophy and promote the enablement of certain adult appetites around online services and who seek to make some kind of compromise between child safety and protection on the one hand, and a radicalised view of free expression and privacy on the other.

There are questions about the adequacy of regulation itself, the cat-and-mouse struggle to get a situation under control, which we are seeing. We have not had a single prosecution of the purveyors of harmful content online as regards dangerous stuff on social media, or pornography. Users occasionally come within the cross-hairs of the Garda but certainly not those who are pushing the appetites and enabling them. The interplay of EU regulation and domestic legislation, particularly around civil and criminal liability, is a factor. When I brought forward legislation in recent times proposing strict criminal penalties for those who would not ensure strict age verification to ensure persons under 18 would not be able to access pornography, I was effectively told by the then Minister in the last Government that we were constrained here by our European obligations. In recent days, I heard a person from Digital Rights Ireland talking about the maximum harmonisation principle of EU law and the rules around country of origin regulation. In fact, what we know is that when people are sufficiently concerned and member states stamp their feet and say "No", we need to be able to take particular domestic measures. We see that it is possible and we have seen emerging legislation in France and Italy. We must stop hiding behind the skirts of the EU. The Government at the moment is tending very much towards hedging its bets around this question of a ban on social media access for under-16s. I heard what Senator O'Loughlin had to say this morning, appearing to pour cold water on the idea of such a ban. I will address that in a moment. I am also hearing noise from the Government to the effect that it would be much better if we moved forward with the EU. I am all for harmonisation with the EU but there comes a point where if the problem is not being solved, we need to take measures ourselves. In this House, I pointed to the apparent success around pornography in some American states, for example, where there was bipartisan support for measures that put the clear onus under criminal and-or civil law on pornography providers which, in certain circumstances, led to them withdrawing their services in particular states. That is effective legislative action.If we could get somewhere like that in this country, an awful lot of parents in particular would feel reassured.

There is no time to discuss the amendments in detail. This is about children's mental health. I recommend to everybody to listen to what people such as Professor Jonathan Haidt says. He is an eminent social psychologist and there was a fantastic interview with him recently on the BBC with Amol Rajan on the programme "Radical". Listen to it and learn from it. It is clear, and the evidence is in, that excessive early access to phones and social media has been damaging children's mental health, their intellectual study and their results performance, and we know the connections with cyberbullying, self-image and all of these problems.

It would be interesting to hear what Jonathan Haidt would have to say on whether a ban on social media access for under 16s would be a positive development. If the problem is serious, the response has to be serious as well. I know Senator O'Loughlin's intentions are completely honourable but, as I said at the committee yesterday in response to something an official from Coimisiún na Meán said regarding this talk about children finding workarounds and going to darker places and there being so much that is positive in social media usage, there is very little difference between this type of talk and the lines we hear from big tech. We need to be aware of this. There is a lot that is good is in the motion but we need to go much further and we need to do so quicker.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for tabling the motion. I will begin by referring to a short film available online called "Let's Change the Norm". I am sure people are familiar with it. It was released by Smartphone Free Childhood in the US. It struck a chord with millions of people because it highlights something that many of us, especially parents, can see happening every day. The film shows how smartphones and social media place huge pressure on our children and calls for a return to a childhood filled with play, real relationships and real-world experiences. The film makes the very simple but powerful point that we ask children to deal with adult-sized challenges before they are ready. There are constant notifications, online bullying, addictive platforms, harmful content and, increasingly, serious risks such as hacking and sexploitation. As a parent this is deeply worrying. It is not just about a debate in the Chamber but the reality for families throughout the country. At the same time, we must recognise the bigger picture.

As the motion sets out, we are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation. Artificial intelligence is changing how we live, how we work and how we interact. Ireland is in a very strong position. Through Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future we have a clear plan to grow our digital economy and lead in AI. The programme for Government reflects this ambition to use technology to improve public services and grow our economy. We are also playing a leading role in Europe through our engagement at EU level, including through the D9+ group, and we are helping to shape digital rules that support innovation and strong protections. As we prepare for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Europe in 2026, we have a real opportunity to lead on this. We will host an international AI and digital summit and we will help to shape Europe's approach to technology for years to come. Leadership is not just about innovation; it is also about responsibility.

While technology is moving fast, the risks for children are also growing and this is why the motion is important. It recognises that Ireland now has a stronger online safety framework, including the Digital Services Act and the work of Coimisiún na Meán. It also makes clear that we cannot stand still. New challenges will continue to emerge and we must be ready to respond. We also need practical solutions. A key area is age verification, and we need to be able to clearly identify when a child is online and ensure they are protected from inappropriate content. This morning on the plinth, I met a primary school group Senator Cathal Byrne had up from Wexford. We answered a couple of questions from the primary school going kids. One of them mentioned that when they watch YouTube videos sometimes inappropriate ads come up. This was a 12-year-old boy. He said there were inappropriate ads and asked whether we were doing something and what were we going to do to stop this content coming up in front of him.

Ireland is already working on this and that includes plans for a pilot age verification system with the major platforms. I must highlight the fact that X has still to acknowledge whether it will participate in this scheme. Alongside this, the development of a digital wallet offers real potential. It could provide a secure and privacy-friendly way for people to verify their age online without sharing unnecessary personal information. This is an important step in building trust in the digital system. The motion also calls for action at European level, including discussion on a digital age of majority and stronger rules to protect children under 16 on social media. These are not easy issues but they are necessary.

We also need to remember that online safety is not just about regulation or technology; it is about people. I am sure colleagues have all received emails in the past week from youth organisations, which play a pivotal role throughout Ireland. They provide safe trusted spaces where young people can talk about what they experience online. They offer support when things go wrong and they help young people to build the skills and confidence to navigate the digital world safely. If we are serious about online safety we must continue to support and invest in this work. Safety online starts with trust, relationships and education online.

In the end, this is about balance. We want Ireland to be a leader in digital innovation. We want to grow our economy and embrace the digital opportunities of AI but we must do this in a way that protects our children. We must make sure that progress does not come at the cost of childhood. "Let's Change the Norm" is a powerful reminder of what is at stake. Today, through the motion, we have a chance to respond and build a digital future that is not only innovative but also safe, fair and centred on the well-being of our young people.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the motion for the most part. There is nothing I can disagree with bar that Ireland has a robust online safety framework. We have an online safety framework but I am afraid it is not robust enough and it does not keep up with ever-changing technology, which is a concern. We all know that access to the Internet and the use of AI has many benefits and positives. It can be beneficial for businesses and individuals, and we can see how public services and innovation can be improved. We have heard about enhanced health care, diagnosis, drug discoveries, improved productivity and creativity and dealing with repetitive tasks. There are many positives but it is not a force for good. The concept and the technology can be used in whatever way the user intends. It needs to be regulated and this is important. There are many malicious users who misuse and manipulate the tools they find online.

There are many dangers with AI. We can see a possible loss of jobs in certain areas, privacy risks, copyright infringements and the spread of misinformation, which is a big issue. We have all suffered abuse online. If many people were to use their own names, they would not put their comments online because if we met them on the street they would not say it to our face. We wonder how many of the accounts are real. We hear about bots. If we had properly verified accounts for every user, it would cut out an awful lot of the misinformation and abuse online.

Recently there has been a lot of talk about the generation of illegal material through AI tools such as X's Grok and other platforms with similar tools. They are being used to generate images that are child sexual abuse material and deepfake naked images of people online. We ask ourselves why these features exist in the first place, especially in relation to children. It is just horrific. A lot more needs to be done about the companies because they have got away with decades of not being regulated. There needs to be strict regulation and strict procedures for dealing with this information. We have to recognise that non-consensual AI nude deepfakes are a form of digital domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and this is what they need to be called out as. There is a loophole in existing Irish law which criminalises the distribution of non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes, but not their creation.

Coco's Law was introduced in 2020 and we are all familiar with it.It criminalises the non-consensual recording or distribution of intimate images, but there is a lack of certainty over whether the Act covers the generation or creation of intimate images. It does not clearly state that the generation of a deepfake sexual image of an adult is illegal.

My colleagues Deputies Devine and Carthy introduced a Bill to the Dáil recently to amend Coco's Law. They want to make three straightforward changes: to explicitly criminalise the non-consensual creation or generation of intimate images and videos through the use of AI, to extend the statute of limitations from two to five years for some summary offences and to increase the maximum penalties upon conviction. I welcome the fact that was not opposed by the Government. I ask that it go to Committee Stage as quickly as possible and that it proceed to amend the Act and be written into law. Ireland's AI advisory council has recommended the creation of a specific offence of creation or generation of AI deepfakes.

The ban on under-16s using social media that was introduced in Australia is a blunt tool. It might seem easy to do that but social media does not extend to gaming, educational tech or wider digital ecosystems. There are ways in which children can be abused online or subjected to unsavoury content other than on social media. Before introducing a ban, we should consider everything. We need to talk to young people and organisations representing them, to parents and to the tech companies. The tech companies have operated for decades without meaningful child safety regulation. We have to do something to enforce safety by design.

We know children's overuse of online platforms is dangerous, as is their being subjected to unsavoury content. However, sometimes the use of online platforms is beneficial. During Covid, I was very thankful that my children could engage with their friends through playing games online. They could not see them because they were not allowed to mix or go to school. It was a way for them to stay in contact with people so it was beneficial at that time. We also need to invest in physical youth spaces for young people to meet others who may not be part of a sports, drama or other organisation. They can go somewhere safe and talk to an adult who is not a parent, with whom they might feel more comfortable discussing unsavoury content or illicit images they have seen online. They can discuss what is real and not real in a safe space. I would advocate for much more investment in physical youth spaces to address these issues.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I really agree with the spirit of this motion and I am delighted we have the opportunity to discuss these issues because they are pertinent and pervasive and they affect everyone across the country. I have a challenge with some of the wording, such as "Seanad Éireann ... agrees that ... Ireland has a robust online safety framework". We are repeatedly told Ireland has some of the strongest online safety regulation in Europe. I do not think we can make that argument given what we have seen over the past few months.

We are also told the era of self-regulation by big tech platforms is over, yet at EU level, particularly with the digital omnibus proposals, self-regulation is back on the agenda. These proposals risk stripping back many hard-won rights and protections and will weaken enforcement architecture around the digital space. This is something the Government has explicitly come out in support of. The idea we can self-congratulate about the era of self-regulation being over is not in line with what is happening at EU level or with the Government's position on the digital omnibus. We cannot declare victory in that space when so many safeguards are actively being diluted at EU level. The omnibus package completely undermines user protections we have achieved up to this point.

Here at home, it feels as though responsibility is being pushed back onto parents, children and victims, rather than it being placed where it belongs, on the platforms that design and profit from these systems, on the Government and on us as legislators. Our regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, stated at the Oireachtas AI committee that it does not have the power to directly take down sexual abuse images. This is a clear failure. Victims of image-based abuse should not be left to navigate opaque reporting systems that seldom work, while harm spreads in seconds. The Data Protection Commission told the committee that the so-called nudification apps had not come onto its radar until the Grok scandal. Nudification apps have been around for many years, so the idea they have only come onto the radar as a consequence of the Grok scandal shocks me and makes me we do not have a robust safety framework. I do not think we are ready for the new challenges that face us. These nudification apps were not hiding. They were in plain sight, yet they did not come onto the radar until there was a massive scandal. That really concerns me.

We have an issue with reactive, crisis-driven policymaking when it comes to AI. We are not anticipatory. Academics are writing about this. The risks are well noted, so there is no reason we should not be reacting better. There is a fundamental structural contradiction. We speak about digital excellence and innovation, yet online safety is housed in a Department whose core mandate is enterprise and industry. I do not think AI protection and regulation belongs there. I do not think it makes sense. There is an inherent tension in this. Regulation must be robust and independent, not influenced by any economic interests in any sector, particularly when it comes to the safety of children.

The Social Democrats do not support a blanket ban for under-16s from social media because bans are blunt instruments. They risk driving young people into less visible, less regulated spaces and do nothing to address the design of the platforms. We can take children off online spaces and make it more difficult for them to access them, but we are not making those spaces safer or doing anything to address the negative algorithms that push hateful comment to us, to children and to people across society. They create toxic online communities, which is spreading into our everyday space. Let there be no doubt about that.

We need regulation of these companies, with meaningful penalties and prosecution of individuals in companies responsible for perpetuating these harmful conditions. That is why it is important we look at making the Internet a safer space. The Internet is here to stay. We all access and use it and will all use it forever. The idea of taking children off it and not trying to make the space that exists safer seems pointless. They will get to 17, go onto these toxic spaces and be influenced. We have seen adults take their own lives because of the influence of chatbots. We see a lot of harm to people over the age of 18 all the way up to later in life. It is absurd that we are not trying to tackle the safety of those spaces.

We cannot continue with a model that treats these companies as neutral hosts. These companies are not passive actors. They use algorithms to amplify, recommend and monetise content. They monetise our shock, our horror and our clicks. They want to keep us on the screens for longer so that they make money off us. They curate, prioritise and profit. If any company exercises editorial control and profit-driven amplification, then it should carry responsibilities as a publisher. That means real liability for systemic harms, real transparency around recommender systems and real consequences when platforms fail to act. Online safety needs to be much more than parental education or responsibility falling solely to parents through TV adverts. It requires structural accountability.

We need stronger enforcement powers, anticipatory regulation of emerging harms like AI-generated abuse, genuine independence and oversight, and a clear shift in responsibility back to the companies that design and profit from these systems. That is how we protect users and children. That is what online safety looks like. I cannot support this motion, not because I do not agree with the principle of it or because I do not welcome the opportunity for this debate, but because I cannot say Ireland has a robust online safety framework at this time.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Higgins has six minutes for her 11 amendments, so the best of luck.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Thank you. I am grateful to have the debate. I acknowledge the sincerity of the contributions made by Government Senators but there is a deep tension here. There has been a recognition of the areas of concern and the speeches we have heard are driven by concern, but so many of the calls in the motion are about the economy. There needs to be an honest discussion and that is what a number of my amendments do.It has almost become an article of faith that any time you mention AI you must begin by saying it has wonderful benefits and referring to the wonderful benefits of AI. You have to begin with that and then act as if there are some accidents that happen along the way, or it is unfortunate the children got to it. In fact, we need to be clear that there is a genuine and heavily lobbied agenda, which is about the dilution of protections. There is an economic push as well. Ireland is trying to ride these two horses by speaking about how we want to be great regulators but also about how we want to really fast-track it and make all our public services use AI as quickly as possible. We want to have it permeate every area of society and get as many data centres built as quickly as possible, but we also want to be respected regulators. I actually agree with Senator Mullen. You can look to both, but you need to choose a priority. Sadly, that is not really reflected in this motion when we look at the language. There is a reference to how we need to "reap the benefits". I again suggest that we should be looking at the risks. Strangely, in the middle of a motion about online safety there a reference to "the full implementation of Digital Ireland’s 20 high-level objectives and 90 specific deliverables". Just to be clear, I looked at the deliverables. One of them is to "Implement the ‘Large Energy User Action Plan’ to attract ... very [high] energy intensive industrial developments." Where is that in online safety? Where is the consideration? I am worried that in the actual cause, it is all about the economic bit. The motion also contains language like "the misuse of digital tools." Let us be clear. We know these tools are designed. It is not they are being misused or that the wrong people are using them. It is how these tools are designed.

I agree and support the idea that we should not just be advancing but implementing the AI Act. What I am concerned at, and we need to be honest, is the dynamic. I have amendments on this. The digital omnibus, which is happening right now, is not about strengthening and closing the loopholes. It is about more loopholes and more self-regulation. It is about taking whole sections out of GDPR to make exemptions to data protection for the training of AI algorithms. That is what is in the omnibus. That needs to be challenged. If Ireland was serious, we would be challenging that rather than following. I support amendments Nos. 2 and 3, in the names of Senators Sarah O'Reilly and Mullen, because they are honest about the language. They say that "recent controversies around the use of deep-fake technologies ... reveal the lack of an enforcement culture and the inadequacy of regulatory structures," and they need to be stricter. Let us be clear: we are not in an adequate issue. That discussion about horrendous business practices by major, wealthy corporations has somehow segued into being all about the discussion of children and 16 and that age. I acknowledge that Senator O'Loughlin said it is not actually the kind of golden bullet that is presented. It has to be wider. Unfortunately, in the motion that is the focus piece.

I will highlight two important things that I have amendments on. I hope amendment No. 12 might be supported. It focuses on the idea in the motion that we can protect children by "supporting Coimisiún na Meán to improve awareness and reporting" of these images. By referring to "awareness and reporting", we are again putting it back on the children. What we actually need is awareness, reporting, investigation, sanction and prosecution of the AI generated non-consensual images. Sadly, we do not have Coimisiún na Meán using the full powers it has under the online safety Act at the moment or the safety code. It is instead deferring to an investigation at European level.

Maybe the Minister of State might comment on this. I fundamentally disagree with the language about how Coco's Law unfortunately does not apply as it is not distribution. Let us be clear: it is distribution. Grok does not create and sell the link. If you were to ask Grok to create an image, it creates that image. I know they will not say they publish it. It makes that image in the public space so that the public can see. It has distributed that image, to be clear. Not just that, but what is also in Coco's Law is the threat to distribute. The very fact of Elon Musk standing there saying "Here is a picture of me in a bikini; you can do this to anyone" is, right there, a threat to distribute inappropriate images. I do not accept that Coco's Law cannot be applied, and I certainly do not accept that the child pornography legislation - it should be called the child sexual abuse material legislation, as Senator Flynn said - cannot apply.

I really urge that we have an honest discussion because we have an immense power here in Ireland as key regulators. We are going to be key during the EU Presidency. However, if we try to have a little chat about safety on the fringes of a conversation that is urging the industry to go faster, we will not be stepping up to what I think is one of our greatest moral responsibilities to our colleagues across Europe. I really urge that safety and strengthening regulation be the centrepiece and that we do not let that be marred by the desire for more and faster money-making in this area.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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I call Senator Sarah O'Reilly.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I have to mention, in a single line, one of my most important amendments. It is about this whole House. I really want an answer from the Minister of State. I refer to my amendment calling on the Government to implement, or amend and implement, section 30 of the Data Protection Act 2018, which this House passed unanimously after it had been proposed by the Government.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Okay, Senator.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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It calls for a limit. It bans the real issue, which is the profiling of children and the micro-targeting-----

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Sorry, Senator-----

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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My apologies. That is exactly the point on advertisements. We already said, as a House, that advertising to children should not be allowed. However, it has never been commenced as a section. I would like an answer on that.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I welcome the Minister of State, and I welcome the debate. Like Senator Mullen, I do not think this motion goes far enough. I am seconding the amendments. I thank Senator Mullen for bringing forward such important clarifications and asks when it comes to the criminal and civil responsibility of companies. Many of the dangers surrounding social media and online access relate to pornography. These large companies distribute pornographic material, often including child sexual abuse material that is readily accessible at the touch of a button. We have companies hosting videos that either contain sexual violence or endorse it in some capacity. These companies, like Aylo Billing, which owns PornHub, are based in Dublin. In 2020, they took in €260 million in revenue. They are bringing in hundreds of millions in revenue every year but take no responsibility for the harmful content they are profiting from. The Exchequer is also benefiting from these companies. We talk about Grok and age verification, but I believe we are allowing large companies to get away scot free. Should the responsibility be left to the young consumer or to the multinational corporations producing this material? These amendments provide us with the platform needed to hold corporations responsible. They will provide for criminal and civil liabilities if these corporations do not uphold safety standards. Is the Government prepared to introduce legislation that will hold companies responsible for ensuring children are not exposed to pornographic or sexual abuse material? It seems that the reason there is not a harsher clampdown on major corporations is that even though there may be ethical objections to how they are operating, the Government considers the revenue from corporation tax too valuable to lose. This is at a grave cost to the protection of our children. Legislation that targets corporations would send a message that Ireland has strict enforcement when it comes to the protection of our young people.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber and his presence shows that a cross-governmental approach will need to be taken. I will touch on a few points. Chief among them is the impact of AI and social media on our democracies worldwide. We are lucky in Ireland that we have not seen our democratic system totally upended like other countries, but that is always on the horizon.In every election we have stood in, we can see the creeping influence of social media, foreign influences, the spreading of deepfakes and so on. The different examples internationally are too numerous to mention in the limited time available.

The algorithm is sending people down rabbit holes and is really harmful. We are seeing extremism develop in every aspect of society. That is harmful for society and for the individual. The algorithm does not allow for diversity of opinion. It just picks up on what people have watched or listened to and feeds them more and more of that. That is really harmful and we need to properly tackle the social media companies in relation to their algorithms. Government must have oversight of the algorithms because they are, in themselves, very harmful.

The digital tools created to cause harm, to undress women and children, have no good or moral purpose. It cannot be argued that they have any role to play in society. They are harmful tools and social media companies need to just ban them. There is no proper functioning reason for them. They have caused harm already and will continue to cause great harm. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, on the very strong stance she took when this blew up a number of weeks ago. She tackled the social media companies head-on.

I was listening to a discussion on "Morning Ireland" earlier in relation to an Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report showing a big fall-off in school attendance across the country since Covid. The drop in school attendance has led to lesser outcomes for the children involved. I cannot help but wonder whether the impact of social media on young people's lives has led to this drop-off in school attendances. We see anxiety rising in young people. Is that linked to social media? I think so. Many teachers have told me children are coming in to school without the fine motor skills that they would expect a five-year-old to have. They cannot turn a page. They have never had a book read to them. They are having difficulty holding a crayon. This is all linked to smartphone use and social media addiction in the home. I say this as a parent and as someone who has often had to stop myself from sitting down for the night and doomscrolling. As parents we have to realise that what we do ourselves is impacting children. If they do not see their parents read a newspaper or book, are they going to suddenly start reading books when they are in school? I do not think so. If children who are starting school have never seen somebody turn a page, that is really worrying and we reallye really have to look at it. We need to have more awareness of the impact of smart devices in particular. Some of us grew up in an age when children watched TV but smart devices are something completely different. We interact with them in a different manner and they are far more addictive than television was back in our day.

I am really glad to see that we will be prioritising digital safety in the upcoming EU Presidency. Billionaires are profiting off harm and we cannot say that loudly enough. They are profiting off the harm of all of us and we have already seen the devastating consequences of billionaires feeling that no laws impact them, and that is just going to increase. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response to the motion. While we might have differing approaches to this issue across the House, it is something that we are all extremely concerned about.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Just before we go to the next speaker, I welcome to the Public Gallery Mr. Richie Farrell from the Farming Rathcroghan project. Actually, I think he has left now.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Do not worry as word will get to him.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I thank Fianna Fáil for tabling this motion. I acknowledge that it is getting much cross-party support and has stimulated much debate here this morning. My colleague Deputy Keira Keogh has done a lot of work on online safety and, as she rightly says, the primary motivation and aim is securing our children's future. She has said that parents are doing their part in trying to protect their children from online dangers like pornography, cyberbullying and harmful algorithms that can lead to exploitation. Recently we have seen huge strides in online safety but we know that stronger age verification is the key to ensuring we keep young people safe online. There is overwhelming support for age limits and age verification and I urge the Government to do this in the shortest time possible.

I met a lady recently called Emer Mugisha, who developed a fantastic comic book called CyberDefenders, One Wrong Click. It allows children to read, in a dyslexia- and child-friendly way, about how just one click when playing a game can cause huge harm. As parents we always feel that we need to be doing more and keeping an eye all of the time on our children online, but sometimes educating children is key. Sometimes, when we think of the online space, we think of Snapchat, Facebook and X but young children are playing games on tablets and are just as vulnerable. We need guarantees from companies like Roblox that they have the best interests of our children in mind.

Now I will move on to another issue and I support what Senator Tully said in this regard. If we are going to put all of these controls on the online space and get companies to invest heavily in it, what are we going to do about the offline space to support our young people? Last Saturday, I was invited to a meeting of the Youthwork Ireland branch in Navan to talk to young people about life, politics and what is happening in Ireland right now. They raised with me the fact that young people really want the right to switch off. They said that if they are sitting at home on a Friday or Sunday evening and something pops up on an app from school or from a teacher, that can give rise to a feeling of anxiety in the pit of their stomach. They spoke of how they would like to be able to switch off from that. Perhaps there should be dedicated times at which these emails come in so that children are not getting them at times when they do not want to see them.

The National Youth Council of Ireland, an organisation that I have met with in the past, also got in touch with me this week. It representatives explained that sustained, long-term investment in offline youth work is essential to addressing online harms experienced by young people. Youth work organisations build trusted voluntary relationships that create safe offline spaces where young people can share their online experiences, receive accurate information and access non-judgmental support. This is critical and investment in our young people through these spaces is vital. Youth work contributes to online safety in three key ways, providing education and guidance to help young people to navigate the digital world confidently and critically, offering responsive support when online harm or abuse occurs and creating save online environments that foster connection, resilience and well-being.

The approach to online safety must be grounded in children's rights and reflect young people's lived realities. Online platforms should be safe by design and by default, not as an afterthought, with primary responsibility placed on technology companies and regulators to uphold safety standards. The online health task force reports are welcome. They recognise the importance of youth spaces and recommend stronger investment and cross-departmental co-ordination. Ultimately, reducing online harms requires not only regulation and digital literacy but meaningful investment in offline alternatives like youth centres, arts spaces, libraries and other community facilities so that young people have real-world places to go to. As Senator Clifford-Lee said, we were brought up in the age of television and there might have been a bit of Space Invaders on the Atari, but young people are exposed to so much more now. They need real-world places to belong, connect and thrive. As one young person said, we might have to sometimes be brave enough to switch the screens off in order to switch ourselves back on, to disconnect in order to reconnect.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome to the Public Gallery the guests of Senator Sarah O’Reilly from St. Louis Secondary School, Dundalk. You are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. The rule of Seanad Éireann is that there is no homework for the rest of the week. We have now amended that rule such that if visitors come in on a Thursday, there is no homework for the weekend either. We are trying to win friends and influence people. I believe the next speaker is Senator Duffy. My apologies, it is Senator Flaherty.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Duffy and I have the same hairstyle. I too welcome the students from St. Louis school in Dundalk. As we listen to the debate, it strikes me that we ought to have students from St. Louis and other schools discussing this very important motion here today.I am particularly happy that we have said we will not ban social media for people aged under 16 in this country. From having three daughters, I have come to realise how important social media is to them. If we reflect on a time when I was growing up, we all went out and played football in a field. If I tell young people about that now they would nearly laugh because they do not do that. We have created a situation whereby we stopped allowing our children to go out and play in the street. We fostered the situation and have completely changed the landscape for young people, and where they go and how they communicate.

Like the pupils from St. Louis here today, today's generation are now not only digital natives but are completely immersed in the digital world and see it as a key component of their lives. We have to reflect on what Covid did to many young people in terms of isolation, in particular young people who may have had a small circle of friends, or only one or possibly no friends at all in school. Covid was detrimental. For them, social media and the online world was the only way they were able to continue to communicate with friends. Social media and the online world is viewed as being a big bad wolf, but we also have to realise that we now have a generation which has embraced this, along with AI, and also see the ills and pitfalls of AI.

This debate tends to get hysterical and we worry unduly and too much. Sometimes we have to have faith in young people and in the next generation that they can make the right decisions. My colleague spoke about algorithms and the suggestion that companies have to give Governments access to them. It would be more dangerous to give such information to governments than allowing companies to access it. That is an aside.

There is a class action under way in the US, where Meta is being taken to court. The nub of the case is that Meta made its product too addictive. Those who have a shop want people to come into it and if they become addicted to going into it they are quite happy. It is difficult to understand the logic of the case that Meta has made Facebook too addictive. Everybody scrolls on their screens to excess. We have to realise that there has to be a balance.

AI will transform a lot of what we do in the world. It will transform many things we do very well. It will help with isolation, healthcare, the delivery of education and many other fields. While we have to be mindful of it and ready to stand up and take issue with the industry when the time is right, we also have to realise the important and key role Ireland has played in the emergence of AI. As a society and country, we will play a pivotal role in the future development of AI. That is a positive and affirmative good, in that some of our most able and capable digital natives will go on to play a key role in the development of what will be AI mark III, the next generation of AI.

The difficulty for us as we deal with IT, social media and the AI world is that the products we see today are ones that were developed five or six years ago. At any given time, Apple has at least two futuristic phone models it has worked on, developed and could unleash on the market today. It wants to get the maximum value out of the iPhone 14 or whatever the current model is, and will then develop the next one. We think this is the cutting edge and the worst AI can get is what we are seeing at the minute, but the reality is that businesses and investors have moved significantly ahead of that. In many respects, we are probably chasing the horse after the stable door has been opened.

I welcome the conversation on this and the fact that Ireland taking a very proactive role. We will have a key role to play in this space as part of our role in the European Presidency. I see Ireland as being a statesmanlike figure in terms of the issues we face in Ukraine and the Middle East. I would like to see the Presidency being defined by Ireland leading the EU in taking a strong stance on AI and its future development and on international affairs.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh na delegation from the Norwegian Parliament, guests of the communications unit. That makes me think you are from the communications unit in the Norwegian Parliament. I hope you enjoy your visit here. At the risk of causing an international incident, I will now try to welcome Solveig Rødland, Vilde Urdal Bolstad, Anne Marit Arnesen, Lars Henie Barstad, Kaja Smedal and Jens Christian Koller. Thank you so much for coming. I hope you enjoy your visit to Leinster House.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Cathaoirleach in welcoming our visitors from Norway to the Gallery. I thank Fianna Fáil Senators for bringing forward this important Private Member's motion during what is a seminal moment in time. We see the development of and advancements in technology, including AI, and the brilliant opportunities that provides for society, along with incredibly dark elements that need to be addressed and legislated for.

This week I attended an information evening in Ted's Bar hosted by Achill Island Smartphone Free Childhood, led by my colleague, Deputy Keira Keogh, and attended by the local community, including parents and Councillor Paul McNamara. While we are legislators in Leinster House, in order to protect children there needs to be leadership in communities. There have been initiatives in Westport, and the parents of children on Achill Island are showing similar leadership in collectively understanding that there is peer pressure for young people in terms of the use of smartphones and different apps. There are many worrying and addictive features and dark elements that need to be addressed, and that is what we need to do as legislators.

There is also an element of responsibility in homes and communities. The initiative on Achill Island is an excellent example of leadership whereby parents are trying to get together to encourage all parents of children not to get them a smartphone until a certain agreed age. It is a good example of protecting young people from the harms, peer pressure, potential bullying and all of the other dark features and elements addressed on the floor of the House. I would like to acknowledge the speakers on the night. They included Emmet Major, from Planet Youth Ireland, and Hilary O'Connor, from Westport Smartphone Free Childhood, as well as community gardaí, Shane Nallen and Padraic O'Connor, and the local sergeant, Sinead Barrett. It is a great example of parents, community policing units, civic leaders and members of both Houses of the Oireachtas and the local authority coming together. A local GP, Dr. Noreen Lineen-Curtis, spoke about the health impact, including the mental health impact, phones can have. It was organised by Edwin McGreal and was a great example.

Perhaps it is something we can encourage and support in other towns, villages and communities across the country. Legislation will never keep up with the speed and advances in smartphone and online technology and digital tools. Legislation is often trying to catch up and react to the different challenges that arise every time there is innovation. If there is responsible leadership in communities, that can be mitigated. I want to acknowledge the work of Achill Island Smartphone Free Childhood and the same group in Westport.I encourage the initiative in other towns, villages and communities across the country. It is a constructive approach to protect young people. I thank the Minister of State for being here today. I also thank my colleagues, the Fianna Fáil Senators, who have brought this issue to the floor.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to come to the Seanad today. The Government is not opposing the motion. I thank Senators for highlighting the importance of online safety as a policy issue.

The motion notes that online safety is a rapidly evolving area of Government policy, with Departments collaborating closely on various related initiatives. Online safety is a priority for the Government and I will outline ongoing cross-departmental efforts to ensure that the people of Ireland can derive the benefits of the Internet while remaining safe online. I am aware that Senators have tabled amendments to the motion. I know these were submitted with the shared goal of improving and enhancing online safety, particularly for children and young people, and the Government shares that objective. However, we cannot accept these amendments. I am confident the issues raised in them are either covered, to one degree or another, by the Government's national digital and AI strategy or, their good intentions notwithstanding, are not in line with that strategy. I am convinced that the strategy represents a good platform for Ireland to move forward on a wide range of issues covered by the strategy, but particularly enhancing and improving online safety, especially for children.

There have been a number of significant legislative developments that aim to reduce the availability of illegal and harmful online content. In Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán is firmly established at the heart of our online safety framework, which comprises the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation. With a staff of approximately 300 people, the focus of Coimisiún na Meán is on implementing, supervising and enforcing these legislative obligations and ensuring that designated service providers are compliant with their obligations under the online safety code, which has applied in full since July 2025. Coimisiún na Meán is supported by levies on the entities it regulates, which is important to ensure adequate resources for the regulator in future.

We are also aware that the rate at which new technologies are evolving requires that we are agile when it comes to addressing potential issues. A recent case in point is the misuse of X's AI tool, Grok, to generate non-consensual intimate images. The European Commission recently launched a formal investigation into this under the Digital Services Act. Coimisiún na Meán played an important role in the lead-up to the launch of the investigation and will continue to assist the European Commission as its investigation progresses.

The Government is currently in the process of implementing domestic legislation to give full effect to the EU AI Act in Ireland. The Act is designed to ensure the development and use of safe, ethical and human-centric AI systems. Good progress has been made. The Government believes that the proportionate risk-based approach taken in the Act is the right one, and that it will provide individuals with safety and fundamental rights while promoting innovation. The use of AI to generate offensive material or to abuse or harass any individual is unacceptable. The sharing of non-consensual intimate images is illegal and the generation of child sexual abuse material is illegal.

The Attorney General and the Minister for justice are examining the current established legal framework to ensure it is sufficiently robust to protect people from digital harms like these. Furthermore, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport has asked Coimisiún na Meán to develop an information campaign that will raise the public's awareness of online safety issues and draw people's attention to the potentially criminal nature of certain types of content. The Minister has also requested that Coimisiún na Meán collaborate with the AI advisory council to review and update the taxonomies of online harm and ensure AI-enabled harms are captured.

The motion refers to the recently published national digital and AI strategy 2030. This strategy sets out the Government's commitment to working closely with like-minded member states on proposals to restrict social media access for children and young people and notes the Government's preference would be for a decision on the issue of digital age of majority to be taken at a European level. In addition, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an expert panel would be formed to examine these issues and the outputs of that panel would also be important to consider. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is working with the Government's Chief Information Officer and his office on an age verification tool as part of the Government's digital wallet being developed using MyGovID. The age verification tool has been developed to support the application of Ireland's online safety code. A pilot of the digital wallet's use for age verification is envisaged, which will be led by the office of the Government's Chief Information Officer. It will run on a voluntary basis over a period of months. The legislative requirements are being examined and it is intended that the experience and results emerging from the pilot will inform the final shape of legislation. It is important to note that it is not intended that the Government's digital wallet will be the only option for platforms to meet their age verification requirements; rather, it will provide a privacy-preserving and secure option that respects users' rights and helps to safeguard children.

Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the latter half of this year and it is the Government's intention to make online safety a priority issue. A youth forum will be held in the lead-up to the Presidency, the aim of which will be to give young people the opportunity to share their views on online safety. The digital age of majority will be an issue for discussion at the forum. Ireland will also hold a high-level conference on online safety in September as part of its Presidency at which this issue and the views of young people will feature. Ireland will also host the international AI and digital summit in Dublin on 14 October 2026, which is a flagship event of the EU Presidency.

The Senators' motion acknowledges Ireland's position as a leading digital regulatory hub. The Government is committed to ensuring that Ireland fulfils its important role in enforcing digital regulation and to further establish Ireland's position as an EU centre of excellence and leading digital regulatory hub. Ireland is the EU place of main establishment for 15 of the 25 very large online platforms and online search engines, illustrating the State's critical role when it comes to the regulation of online platforms in Europe. We will continue to be a strong voice in Europe, advocating for a balanced, proportionate and coherent regulatory approach, one that fosters innovation and competitiveness while safeguarding fundamental rights.

In November 2025, the European Commission published its simplification omnibus package, which includes proposals to simplify rules on AI, data and cyber security incident reporting. Among the proposals, the package seeks to consolidate several data rules into a single, clear and harmonised data framework, the Data Act, and targeted simplification measures to ensure timely, smooth and proportionate implementation of certain provisions of the AI Act. The package, which supports the EU's strategic positioning as the location of choice for trustworthy digital innovation while maintaining a central focus on data privacy and the fundamental rights of citizens, was welcomed by the Government.

Crucially, we must continue to strive to maintain safety and civility on the Internet. We must ensure that people, young and old, are equipped with the skills required to derive the benefits of the Internet while remaining safe online. Media literacy education is vital in this regard and Coimisiún na Meán has a statutory obligation to promote media literacy in Ireland. Coimisiún na Meán partners with Media Literacy Ireland on initiatives like the Be Smart campaign, which encourages people to stop, think and check that the information they are consuming is reliable. The Department of Education and Youth also has an important role to play in promoting online safety in schools through curriculum supports and digital citizenship initiatives. Webwise is an initiative of the Department to promote safer, better online use through awareness raising and education initiatives targeting teachers, children, young people and parents.

Once again, I thank all the Senators for the opportunity to speak today about online safety and its importance.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call on Senator O’Loughlin to respond, I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery Deputy David Maxwell as well as a senator from France, Nathalie Goulet. I thank her for being here. Accompanying the senator is a man who is no stranger to the House and has visited quite a number of times, Ian Paisley Jnr. In fact, his father, the Rev. Ian Paisley Snr., sat in the exact same spot many years ago. I thank him for being here as well.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Tá fáilte romhat.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I had a great conversation with Ian's father and his mother when they were both on a visit to Leinster House and thanked them, and I will now thank Ian on the record for getting my mother into the Battle of the Boyne opening by Bertie Ahern and his father many years ago.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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‘Twas the closing of it was the problem.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I think the Senator is talking about the battle itself whereas I am just talking about the interpretive centre. My mother rang me to say she wanted to go, at very short notice. As one can imagine, it was a tough ticket to get. Having exhausted all avenues in the Irish Government, I rang the Paisleys' office and they got my mother to the opening with the late, great Rev. Ian Paisley. That is North-South co-operation at its finest. I thank the Paisley family for that and Ian for being here today.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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We have had a really good debate. It was very worthwhile to air all of the different views and opinions. The motion speaks for itself as it reads. There were very worthwhile contributions from those who wanted to go further, and from some who did not agree with everything that was in it. I take on board what the Minister of State has said about how the views will be reflected on.

One thing is incredibly clear: we are all concerned about online safety and we want to do the best we can to ensure our young people are kept safe and that they do not have access to all the evils of the dark world of the Internet but also that they have opportunities to use the Internet in a safe and wise way. All of the adults in children's lives have to set an example. I have heard different examples of what has been happening. Senator Duffy spoke about the meeting on Achill Island and bringing everyone together. I attended a meeting in Kildare town last year where a huge number of primary schools, practically all of them in south Kildare, had come together as parents to say the parents wanted to have this at primary school level.

We have so many stakeholders in all of this. People have different views. Internationally, there are a lot of different experiences. We need to learn from the experiences of other countries, but we also want to ensure that during our EU Presidency we shine a light on the good behaviours and do what we can to ensure we do not have the negative behaviours, but also be a leading light in that. In regard to the AI aspect, the fact we are having the special forum in October is important. The two go hand in hand. I really welcome the opportunity and thank my colleagues who spoke on this motion. I have no doubt there will be ongoing debates on online safety but this was an important pone. We really appreciate the Minister of State being with us. It shows the crossover between the Department of communications and the Department of justice, and there is a crossover with education too. We need to have collaboration right across government, with the help and support of those in Opposition too. I commend the motion to the House.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 2:

After the fourth paragraph under “agrees that:”, to insert the following paragraph: “- recent controversies around the use of deep-fake technologies to demean, abuse and exploit people sexually reveal the lack of an enforcement culture and the inadequacy of regulatory structures where stricter legal prohibitions are required;”

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I second it.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 3:

After the fifth paragraph under “agrees that:”, to insert the following paragraph: “- while the harmonisation of European policy and law is a desirable objective, the Government and Oireachtas must not fail to introduce domestic civil and criminal legislation where this is necessary to secure the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable persons;”

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I second it.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 4:

After the tenth paragraph under “calls for:”, to insert the following paragraph: “- legislation prohibiting the use of AI technology within the State for, or the creation or distribution within the State of AI technology which enables, the generation or distribution of nude or pornographic imagery depicting any person real or imagined;”

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The amendment has not been seconded.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 5:

In the eleventh paragraph under “calls for:”, to insert the following sub-paragraphs, after the second sub-paragraph: “- legislation providing for criminal and civil liability where any entity engaged in the provision of online services within the State fails to take all reasonable age verification measures to ensure that children under 18 are not exposed to pornographic imagery or sexualised deep-fake imagery;

- legislation providing for criminal and civil liability where any entity engaged in the provision of online services within the State fails to take all reasonable age verification measures to ensure that children under 16 do not access social media services;”

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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There is no seconder.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 6:

To delete the first paragraph under “calls for:”, and substitute the following: “- Ireland to support a strong and responsible digital sector within the economy including indigenous innovation, while protecting data privacy and fundamental rights;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 7:

To delete the second paragraph under “calls for:”, and substitute the following: “- the Government to consider and engage with the risks and benefits of digital technologies and AI, and to provide robust safeguards in relation to the use of these tools in our public services;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 8:

To delete the fifth paragraph under “calls for:”, and substitute the following: “- Ireland’s Council Presidency to reflect our ambition to be at the forefront of digital innovation and online safety; and to advocate for robust safeguards to protect children, young people, and vulnerable persons from harm in online spaces;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 9:

To delete the seventh paragraph under “calls for:”, and substitute the following: “- Ireland to advance and implement the EU’s AI Act during our presidency, and advocate for further reform of the Digital Omnibus Regulation to strengthen data protection for citizens, and provide robust protections for creatives whose work is used to train AI models without consent or compensation;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 10:

To delete the ninth paragraph under “calls for:”, and substitute the following: “- the Government to advocate for the development of robust regulatory safeguards at the EU level, to protect children, young people, and vulnerable persons from harm in online spaces;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 11:

To delete the tenth paragraph under “calls for:”, and substitute the following: “- the full consideration of Digital Ireland’s 20 high-level objectives and 90 specific deliverables;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No.12:

In the eleventh paragraph under “calls for:”, to delete the first sub-paragraph and substitute the following sub-paragraph: “- supporting Coimisiún na Meán to improve awareness, reporting, investigation, and sanction or prosecution of AI-generated non-consensual intimate images;”

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I second it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 13:

In the eleventh paragraph under “calls for:”, in the third sub-paragraph after “implementing,” to insert “subject to data protection impact assessment,”

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 15:

After “calls for:”, to insert the following paragraph: “- the adequate enforcement of the provisions that already exist in the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 which prohibit the generation and sharing of child sexual abuse material, and intimate image abuse;”

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 16:

After “calls for:”, to insert the following paragraph: “- Ireland to engage constructively with the Digital Omnibus and AI Omnibus proposals by the European Commission and advocate against measures which would reduce data protections and dilute regulation and enforcement, and to work to strengthen controls in relation to algorithms, recommender systems and the protection of creative work;”

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to sit again?

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Next Tuesday at 2.30 p.m.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.