Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The European regulation known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) establishes clear and proportionate rules to protect consumers and their fundamental rights online, whilst simultaneously fostering innovation, growth and competitiveness. It aims to rebalance the responsibilities of users, platforms, and public authorities according to European values, placing citizens at the centre.

The DSA obliges each Member State to designate a lead competent authority, the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC). The DSA introduces new obligations on providers of online intermediary services to improve online safety in a variety of ways, such as improving transparency of services, giving users more control and making it more likely that illegal content online will be found and removed expeditiously.

In March 2022, the Government decided that Comisiún na Meán would be designated as the Irish DSC and this early decision given us a head start on getting resources in place to be ready for the date that the DSA enters into full effect on 17 February 2024.

The Member State DSCs will implement and enforce the DSA as a network of competent authorities, working alongside the European Commission. Other national regulators will have a role, and we will also designate the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as a competent authority for specific articles of the DSA related to online marketplaces. However, there can only be one DSC in each Member State and I am aware that the Irish DSC will have an important role in the overall EU Regulatory framework because the majority of the most popular online platforms and search engines are established here (13 of the 19 very large providers have their main EU establishment in Ireland).

The Government is fully committed to adequately resourcing the DSC, and this began this year with a provision of €2.7 million to Comisiún na Meán for setting up and preparing for its formal designation and legal empowerment as DSC on 17 February 2024. For this set-up phase, the DSC has sanction for 39 posts, including a Digital Services Commissioner who took up his post in July this year.

In 2024, the DSC will move from the preparatory phase to the full implementation phase and my Department has secured an additional €3.3 million in Budget 2024 resulting in a total funding of €6 million for 2024 to support DSC functions and responsibilities.

This means that the Irish DSC can maintain the agreed 39 posts sanctioned for 2023 and build on this by recruiting additional staff to deliver the supervision and enforcement functions. From 2024 the DSC will be responsible for DSA matters such as coordination across the EU, handling complaints, policy development, communications, supervision, investigation and enforcement.

I fully appreciate the central role that the Irish regulator will have in the EU regulatory framework and, as a result, the extent to which the success of the new EU digital regulation relies on us. The Government is committed to providing all necessary and appropriate resources to the DSC.

The Government's National Digital Strategy outlines Ireland’s ambition to be a centre of regulatory excellence in Europe. This strategy specifically states this should be achieved through a modern, cohesive and well-resourced digital regulatory system. Coimisiún na Meán as Digital Services Coordinator will be a key element in this digital regulatory system.