Written Answers Nos. 102-108
102. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ifs he will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to develop a research programme around the concept of duty of care and the public interest in the design of online platforms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10936/24]
View answer103. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to develop a research programme around the consequences, benefits and potential harms to society and children specifically of digital activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10937/24]
View answer104. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will outline her work towards regulating harmful content and creating a safer environment online for children and young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10938/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 103 and 104 together.
In terms of regulating harmful content and creating a safer environment online for children and young people, in December 2022, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill was enacted. In March 2023, the Act was commenced, Coimisiún na Meán established and an Executive Chairperson and four Commissioners, including an Online Safety Commissioner, formally appointed.
The functions of An Coimisiún include the development and enforcement of a new regulatory framework for online safety, thereby bringing to an end the era of self-regulation for many online services. An Coimisiún is in the process of finalising its first binding online safety code under this regulatory framework, having published a draft for public consultation on 8 December 2023 and was closed on 31 January 2024.
Broadly, the draft code would provide for obligations on video-sharing platform services with the aim of minimising the availability and exposure of users, and particularly children, to some of the most serious forms of harmful online content.
In terms of research programmes around the concept of duty of care and the public interest in the design of online platforms and the consequences, benefits and potential harms to society and children specifically of digital activity, as part of its functions, An Coimisiún may also conduct or commission research.
In this regard, in December 2023, An Coimisiún published research in relation to usage patterns of social media apps and websites, and attitudes toward online safety, as well as an Online Harms Evidence Review, particularly as these matters affect children.
An Coimisiún also has a role in carrying out educational initiatives, including in relation to online safety issues. For example, in September 2023, the Online Safety Commissioner launched the new Webwise Junior Cycle SPHE Unit of Learning, called ‘The Respect Effect’. This is an anti-bullying educational resource designed to empower students to take positive action against online bullying, develop their resilience, and help them to understand the impacts of cyberbullying.
In addition, under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), An Coimisiún is Ireland's Digital Services Coordinator. Digital Services Coordinators are national authorities designated by the EU Member States to supervise, enforce and monitor the implementation of the DSA.
Under the DSA, providers of online platforms that are accessible to minors are required to put in place appropriate measures to ensure high level of privacy, safety and security of minors on their service. For example, the DSA also prohibits targeted advertising to minors based on profiling using their personal data of users of their services when they can establish with reasonable certainty that the recipient of the service is a minor.
The OSMR Act and the DSA are landmark pieces of legislation which together mark the end of the era of self-regulation by online platforms and are the building blocks for a new online safety regulatory framework which will help keep our children safe online.
105. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to clarify the number of redundancies, or so called ‘exit-packages’, that have been paid to staff or personnel at any level of seniority in her Department, or in any agency or body under the aegis of her Department, from 2018 to date; the value of each and the total value, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10995/24]
View answer106. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of exit and or severance and or redundancy packages granted by her Department, and bodies under her aegis, and of bodies he funds in full or in part, of €200,000 and above in the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and if she will provide the amount of same, body, name and year. [11024/24]
View answer107. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to list all staff/management exit packages for staff/management in their Departments that they sanctioned since 2016 (details supplied). [11169/24]
View answerMy Department in its current configuration was established in September 2020 and the reply relates to the period from that date.
Redundancy or severance payments in the Civil Service generally arise with respect to specific categories of employees, as determined by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) and approved by Government. There was one severance payment and one redundancy payment made over that period in respect of my Department, as set out in the table below. The contractual entitlements arising were calculated in accordance with the rules as determined above. The payments did not arise out of settlement agreements outside the normal arrangements and the issue of separate sanction did not arise.
|
Year |
Number of Redundancy payments |
Number of Severance Payments |
Amount |
|
Year |
Number of Redundancy payments |
Number of Severance Payments |
Amount |
|
2024 |
|
1 |
€219,240.00 |
|
2023 |
1 |
|
€16,603.90 |
|
Total Value |
|
|
€235,843.90 |
For the bodies under the aegis of my Department, this is an operational matter for each body and my Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputies with the information requested in respect of their organisations. It should be noted that while my Department provides grant assistance to many organisations and programmes across the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media sectors, we do not have any operational role in those organisations.
108. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an bhfuil sé i gceist aici méadú mór a dhéanamh ar an maoiniú atá ar fáil do naíonraí agus naíscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht, agus an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an earnáil sin do luathshealbhú agus nós úsáide na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht á cur i gcuntas, de bharr go bhfreastalaíonn beagnach gach gasúr anois ar naíonraí agus naíscoileanna; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [11184/24]
View answerTuigimse an tábhacht a bhaineann leis na seirbhísí luathbhlianta seo ó thaobh sealbhú agus úsáid na Gaeilge de agus mar thaca don Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta agus don Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge, araon. Chomh maith leis sin, tá An Roinn Leanaí, Comhionanais, Míchumais, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige ag obair ar Phlean Cuimsitheach chun breis forbartha a dhéanamh ar sholáthair lán-Ghaeilge san earnáil. Tá mo Roinn páirteach sa Ghrúpa Comhairleach atá bunaithe chun an Plean Cuimsitheach sin a thabhairt chun cinn.
Is é Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta a chuireann an t-infreastruchtúr in áit chun seirbhísí luathbhlianta a chur ar fáil as Gaeilge sa Ghaeltach, agus cuireann sé seirbhísí riaracháin, tacaíochta agus traenála ar fáil do na seirbhísí atá cláraithe leis an eagraíocht.
Feidhmíonn an eagraíocht den chuid is mó, le cúnamh reatha ar fiú €619,500 é ó Údarás na Gaeltachta, ach le cúnamh ó mo Roinn chomh maith. Seo a leanas briseadh síos ar an maoiniú a cheadaigh mo Roinn do Chomhar Naíonraí na Gaeltacha ó 2018 ar aghaidh:
2018/2019 - €355,000
2019/2020 - €435,500
2020/2021 - €470,000
2021/2022 - €498,350
2022/2023 - €601,100
Sin ardú 69% ar an tacaíocht a chuir mo Roinn ar fáil do Chomhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta ón mbliain 2018 go 2023.
Tá iarratas ar mhaoiniú do na blianta amach romhainn á bhreithniú ag mo Roinn faoi láthair.
