Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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72. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the establishment of a digital safety commissioner to ensure fair and responsible practice in the online and social media sphere; the steps he is taking to advance this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37633/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Law Reform Commission Report on Harmful Communications and Digital Safety, published in 2016 recommended, inter alia, the establishment of an Office of the Digital Safety Commissioner of Ireland.

  As the Deputy is aware, in February the Government did not oppose the passage at second stage of a Private Members Bill by Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire which seeks to establish an Office of the Digital Safety Commissioner. This Bill, the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017, was then referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment by the Oireachtas. At its meeting on 1 August 2018 the committee decided to undertake detailed scrutiny of the Bill.

The Action Plan for Online Safety was launched by the Taoiseach on 11 July and contains 25 actions to be implemented by the six sponsor Departments over the next 12-18 months. These actions cover a range of activities relevant to the proposed Office of the Digital Safety Commissioner, including education and awareness raising, communicating with the public, and oversight and consultative structures.  Action 18 of the plan commits the Government to working with the Joint Oireachtas Committee in relation to Deputy Ó Laoghaire's Bill.

The Deputy is aware that I have accepted an invitation to attend a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee next month, which will form part of the Committee's scrutiny of Deputy Ó Laoghaire's Bill. I look forward to engaging with the Committee as it conducts its work.