Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Digital Services Act (DSA) is an EU regulation and will be enforced by the 27 Member States, alongside the European Commission, with Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) to be appointed in each Member State to supervise and enforce the DSA as well as co-ordinate and co-operate at a European level.

You can be assured that this Government and I are fully committed to supporting the successful enforcement of this landmark Act and our actions to date are a testament to that. Ireland’s National Digital Strategy places strong emphasis on balance, inclusiveness, security, and safety. These are values this Government is committed to maintaining not just in our offline world but also in the online world that is increasingly playing such an important role in the daily life of all our citizens.

Firstly, officials in my Department are currently progressing legislation in relation to specific components of the DSA requiring national implementing measures.

Secondly, we acted early to identify Coimisiún na Meán (the Media Commission) as the DSC in Ireland in March 2022. Ireland was the first Member State in the EU to identify our DSC and this Government has provided funding to Coimisiún na Meán from 2023 to allow Coimisiún na Meán to prepare for their supervisory and enforcement role in relation to the DSA. This has included the appointment of a Digital Services Commissioner who has already begun his role to lead on functions related to the DSA. Coimisiún na Meán are also currently putting in place the necessary resources and procedures they need so that they are ready to discharge their full functions for the DSA on 17 February 2024, which is the date assigned in the DSA from which DSCs can deploy their supervisory and enforcement powers.

Due to an early application measure in the DSA, the European Commission can already deploy its enforcement powers in respect of very large online platforms and search engines, and it has begun to do so.

However, this monitoring and enforcement requires the assistance of and active cooperation with Member States, in particular Ireland as a significant number of these platforms and search engines have their EU headquarters here. The preparatory work done by both this Government and Coimisiún na Meán has meant that Ireland was in a position to sign administrative arrangements in relation to the DSA with the European Commission on the 23rd of October- one of the first Member States, alongside France, to do so.

The arrangements will be of particular importance until the DSA comes into full effect on the 17th of February 2024, as they will allow for the European Commission services and Coimisiún na Meán to exchange information, good practices, methodologies, technical systems and tools. Effective cooperation will facilitate the European Commission's assessment of systemic risks, the identification of emerging ones, including risks related to the spread and amplification of illegal content, as well as other systemic risks under the DSA, such as the spreading of disinformation or the protection of minors.

The rise and spread of disinformation, misinformation, harmful and illegal content online can negatively affect public discourse and electoral processes. This has again come to the fore due to the recent period of conflict and instability. This is an issue for governments right across the world and we very much acknowledge that these challenges need to be addressed.

Regulations such as the DSA are one way the Government can deal with these challenges and ensure support for our societal values online. The DSA places obligations on online platforms that will make it easier to combat the spread of harmful or illegal content online while also safeguarding people’s freedom of expression. As referred to above, the Government has and will continue to provide full support of such regulations.