Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Government's Action Plan for Online Safety 2018-2019, which was launched by the Taoiseach on 11 July 2018, contains 25 actions to be implemented or substantially progressed by the six sponsor Departments before the end of 2019. These Department are the Department of Justice and Equality; the Department of Children and Youth Affairs; the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation; the Department of Health; the Department of Education and Skills; and my own Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

The actions contained in the plan cover a range of activities including education and awareness raising, communicating with the public, putting in place robust oversight and consultative structures, and legislative measures.

Action 20 provides for the establishment of a National Advisory Council for Online Safety which will provide advice to Government on online safety policy issues, identify emerging issues where Government intervention may be warranted, and provide input into the eventual renewal of the Action Plan. The Council’s membership is drawn from key stakeholder groups, including industry and NGOs.

Action 17 provides for the implementation of the revision to the Audio Visual Media Services Directive, which has been negotiated for the past two years in Brussels and the text of which will be finalised and published in November 2018. Member States will be required to put in place by means of co-regulation, a method of ensuring that Video Sharing Platform Services (VSPS) established in their jurisdiction have specific measures in place to ensure that users, but especially minors, are protected from harmful content.

Much work remains to be done on the definition of a VSPS, including the issuing by the European Commission of detailed guidance on how the definition should be interpreted by Member States, and the nature of the co-regulatory system to be established. These issues are being examined in the context of the preparations of the implementation of the revised Directive, which is required to be implemented 21 months from the date of its publication.

My Department will conduct a public consultation on how Ireland should approach the implementation of the revised Directive in the coming months.