Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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338. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way that her media portfolio responsibilities can best be used to confront the activities of various media channels or other outlets involved in the portrayal and glorification of violence including gender and sexual violence deemed to be influential in conditioning or encouraging such behaviour; if she will enter dialogue with her European Union counterparts in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8437/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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In regard to the portrayal of violence through the medium of film that may be broadcast in Ireland, under section 42 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), as an independent regulator, is required to make codes governing the standards and practice to be observed by broadcasters. The Code of Programme Standards developed by the BAI pursuant to section 42 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out that broadcasters should exercise due care in broadcasting depictions and-or descriptions of violence in programme material. The Code also sets out that broadcasters shall have due regard to the appropriateness of and-or justification for, the inclusion of violent content in programme material.

In regard to the portrayal of violence through social media, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill will establish a multi-person Coimisiún na Meán, including an Online Safety Commissioner, dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, establish regulatory frameworks for online safety and the regulation of audiovisual media services, and transpose the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

It will be the role of the Online Safety Commissioner to oversee the regulatory framework for online safety. As part of the framework, the Commissioner will devise binding online safety codes that will set out how designated online services, including social media services, are expected to deal with certain defined categories of harmful online content on their platforms.

In particular, online safety codes will ensure that designated online services take appropriate measures to reduce the availability of illegal content on their services. Such illegal content includes, for example, relevant offences under Coco’s Law (The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020). It is intended that this will have the effect of reducing the availability, on designated online services, of intimate images which have been shared without consent and of threatening or grossly offensive communications about, or to, another person.

Under the Bill, in the event of a failure to comply with a relevant online safety code, and subject to Court approval, Coimisiún na Meán will have the power to sanction non-compliant online services, including through financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover.

Finally, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill will also allow Coimisiún na Meán to create guidance materials for providers of relevant online services. Such guidance materials may seek to protect children in particular, but also the general public, from harmful online content and age-inappropriate online content. The Bill provides for a definition of age-inappropriate online content, and references in particular, content which consists of realistic representations of gross or gratuitous violence or acts of cruelty.