Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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47. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the progress on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill including the activity of the expert group considering an individual complaints mechanism in the Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22105/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 was initiated in the Seanad on 25 January 2022 and underwent Second Stage on 22 February 2022. Committee Stage of the Bill in the Seanad commenced on 26 April 2022 and continued on 28 April and yesterday, 4 May. The next Committee stage session is scheduled for 10 May.

I established an expert advisory group to examine the potential for an individual complaints mechanism for online safety matters in the Bill. The role of the expert group is to examine whether it is practicable to do this and, if so, how it may be done.

The group will be reporting to me in the first half of May with their recommendations. If an amendment to the Bill is required to give effect to any recommendations of the group, this will require further detailed consideration and I would of course need to consult with the Office of the Attorney General regarding how such an amendment could be structured and drafted.

As I have said before, if an individual complaints mechanism can be provided for, then I’d like to ensure that it is. In this regard, any proposals that I bring forward must be workable and legally robust.