Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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58. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of her Department's work to implement the recommendations of the Internet content governance advisory group; the actions she is taking to keep children safe online; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18802/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Keeping children safe online requires a whole of government approach. I am committed to playing my part in a co-ordinated cross-Government approach.

The Department of the Taoiseach is currently developing an Action Plan on online safety involving all relevant departments to ensure that our actions are coordinated, complementary and robust. Officials in my Department are participating in this process.

While my department does not have a lead responsibility in this area, it does play an important role in a wider range of actions across a number of departments.

Child protection is our mission. The Children First Act 2015 places a number of statutory obligations on organisations providing relevant services to children. These obligations include a requirement to keep children safe from harm while they are availing of the service; a requirement to carry out a risk assessment, and, a requirement to prepare a child safeguarding statement which sets out the policies and procedures which are in place to mitigate these risks. 

In this regard, my Department plans to amend the Children First Guidance to include a specific reference to the need to consider online safety in the completion of a Child Safeguarding Statement.

I am also concerned that the voices of children and young people will be heard and acted upon when we make decisions on internet safety. My Department undertakes and supports consultation and participation processes. This includes developing structures to enable such participation in decision making by children and young people. Such structures include both Dáil na nÓg and Comhairle na nÓg.

Earlier this year, the Deputy was on the Oireachtas Committee of Children and Young People that met with groups of young people from Counties Clare and Wicklow Comhairle na nÓg on this important subject. It is only through engagement with young people that we can find the solutions that will work.

I am aware that the Oireachtas Committee also considered the recommendations of the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group. Responsibility to advance proposals in relation to that Group's recommendations rests with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.