Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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380. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has any plans to block access to pornography on computer devices, and in particular, smart phones registered to children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12592/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The formal establishment of Coimisiún na Meán on 15 March 2023 marks a significant step toward greater protection from some of the most serious forms of harmful online content, in particular, for children. The Online Safety Commissioner, who is part of An Coimisiún, is tasked with overseeing a new regulatory framework for online safety as provided for in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022.

As part of the framework, the Online Safety Commissioner will devise binding online safety codes and apply them, as appropriate, to certain designated online services established in the State, including certain social media platforms, which make available user-generated content. The codes will ensure appropriate systemic measures are put in place by such services in order to protect users from defined categories of harmful online content, encompassing, among other types of content, that which is linked to relevant existing offences in Irish law.

The Online Safety Commissioner may also devise online safety guidance materials to protect children from age-inappropriate online content, including pornography.

While I have no role in blocking individual devices or identifying or registering devices to which children have access, I have asked An Coimisiún to examine the issue of age verification. It is complex and raises significant data protection and privacy matters and will require engagement with other relevant digital regulators.

At European level, in May 2022, the European Commission launched a new European Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids. This Strategy places a strong focus on providing age-appropriate online experiences, including through age verification and age-appropriate design. In order to facilitate age verification, the European Commission has committed to work with Member States and promote EU standardisation in order to strengthen effective age-verification methods. In particular, the Commission has committed to facilitating a comprehensive code of conduct on age-appropriate design by 2024 and indicated that the code could provide for age verification for accessing certain online content.