James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

59. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the legislative agenda pertaining to content moderators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28109/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Content moderators carry out really important work to protect us all and we need to ensure they are protected properly in their work. I have met with content moderators and their representatives recently and corresponded with one of the social media companies concerned.

There is already, in Ireland, a strong legislative regime to protect all workers in terms of their working conditions, including work-related health and safety, as well as their terms and conditions of employment.

Our suite of workplace health and safety legislation is designed to prevent and mitigate against work-related accidents and injuries. Social media content moderators should be treated by an employer in the same way as any other worker potentially exposed to hazards. The employer must ensure that appropriate training is provided and must carry out a robust risk assessment with a particular focus on potential hazards for the worker. Proper risk assessment, along with mitigation measures, is the foundation for all workplace health and safety. The Health and Safety Authority has an extensive range of advisory and guidance material available to employers to assist them in identifying and managing specific workplace hazards and risks. In addition, any content moderator concerned for their health and safety can contact the Workplace Contact Unit of the Health and Safety Authority in confidence at www.hsa.ie.

Our suite of employment rights legislation protects all employees who are legally employed on a contract of service basis. Where an individual believes they are being deprived of employment rights they can bring a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) which is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. The WRC can be contacted at www.workplacerelations.ie .

While the Health and Safety Authority is independent in the carrying out of investigations into complaints that it receives, I am aware that the Health and Safety Authority continues to engage with the Social Media sector to reiterate their duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and to establish what control measures are in place to address the risks arising from the specific nature of the work of content moderators. On assessing the control measures the Health and Safety Authority will be able to determine whether further advice or guidance is necessary for employers and employees in that sector.

Separately, I would add that my colleague, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, is currently advancing a regulatory framework which will deal with on-line safety and which will include the establishment of an Online Safety Commissioner.