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The days of self-regulation in the online industry are over, the Dail has heard.<\/p>\nThe days of self-regulation in the online industry are over, the Dail has heard.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste Simon Coveney said the State needs to get involved in protecting vulnerable children and young people from cyber bullying and pornographic material.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney admitted that it was a very difficult issue to get right, but he said he hoped to have legislation introduced by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
It comes after the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the D\u00e1il on Wednesday that the Government would consider a law being implemented in the UK that aims to restrict access to porn to over 18s only.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government\u2019s view is that the days of self-regulation online are over,\u201d Mr Coveney told the D\u00e1il on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cStates\u2019 now need to get involved in putting in appropriate levels of regulation to ensure that we can protect vulnerable people and in particular children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedia coverage of things that have happened in the last few days are a reminder of that\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it is an issue and has been an issue for a number of years now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that parents in the D\u00e1il chamber were all too aware of the dangers of even allowing their children to use a mobile phone.<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste made the comments in response to Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Pearse Doherty who raised the issue of online safety during Leaders\u2019 Questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know that children and teenagers, despite the best efforts of their parents, are able to access inappropriate material on the internet, on social media and that this can have a real negative consequences for children, for their families and for society at large,\u201d Mr Doherty told the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n
The Donegal TD said the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill, introduced by his party in February 2018, has been stuck in committee stage, despite receiving unanimous support in the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n
He said it gave \u201cmeaningful\u201d supports to the state in their efforts to combat cyber bullying, the prevalence of harmful communication and material and micro-targeting and online abuse.<\/p>\n
He added that the bill is supported by the ISPCC and other groups.<\/p>\n
He said all members of parliament had ideas about what might be done, and he called on all parties to work together to get the bill over the line.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney said that Fine Gael wanted to work with all parties to make changes, but that it would take time and he did not think \u201ccomprehensive\u201d legislation on online safety could be put in place before the summer recess.<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste concluded that he hoped to have such legislation enacted before the end of the year.<\/p>\n