Written answers

Thursday, 9 March 2023

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Online Safety

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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199. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Online Safety Commissioner will have any responsibility for ensuring social media companies do not allow the targeting of advertisements for conversion therapy at people. [12063/23]

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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200. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Online Safety Commissioner will have any responsibility for ensuring social media companies do not allow the targeting of advertisements for conversion therapy at people. [12075/23]

Photo of Aodhán Ó RíordáinAodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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202. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Online Safety Commissioner will have any responsibility for ensuring social media companies do not allow the targeting of advertisements for conversion therapy at people. [12148/23]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 199, 200 and 202 together.

In the first instance, it must be stated that so-called conversion therapy is an abhorrent practice which either seeks to deny the existence of sexual and gender identities as genuine identities or to reframe these benign aspects of the human experience as something needing correction.

The Programme for Government commits to legislating to ban conversion therapy. My colleague Minister O’Gorman, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, is leading on the development of this legislation. My officials are engaging with officials in Minister Gorman’s Department to ensure that the legislation brought forward will not only ban the practice but also the advertisement of the practice.

The Online Safety and Media Regulation Act provides for Coimisiún na Meán, of which the Online Safety Commissioner is part, to make media service codes and online safety codes related to advertising. Therefore, provisions relating to the advertisement of conversion therapy that are brought forward by Minister O’Gorman will be reflected in such codes. A service provider which contravenes media service or online safety codes can be subjected to significant penalties, including financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover, whichever is higher.

Photo of Mairead FarrellMairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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201. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide the contact details for the newly established Online Safety Commissioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12143/23]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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On 17 January, I announced my intention to appoint Niamh Hodnett as Online Safety Commissioner of Coimisiún na Meán, following a recommendation from the Public Appointments Service. On 13 February, the Online Safety Commissioner took up post on an administrative basis and has, since that time, been temporarily based in the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), which will be dissolved into Coimisiún na Meán upon its establishment.

On 22 February, I signed two Ministerial orders - the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 (Commencement) Order 2023 (S.I. No. 71 of 2023) and the Broadcasting Act 2009 (Establishment Day) Order 2023 (S.I. 72 of 2022), which will formally dissolve the BAI and establish Coimisiún na Meán with effect from 15 March.

The BAI is currently the most appropriate contact point for the Online Safety Commissioner. The BAI can be contacted through its website (bai.ie), via email at info@bai.ie or by phone on (+353) 1 644 1200.

Following its establishment, Coimisiún na Meán will be contactable via email at info@cnam.ie or by phone on (+353) 1 644 1200.

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