Summary
This public consultation is now closed.
The Committee on Justice and Equality invites written submissions from stakeholders and interested parties on the issues of online harassment, harmful communications and related offences.
Consultation description
A separate document can be obtained at the following link outlining in detail the list of possible issues the Committee wishes to address under this broad heading.
In summary, the Committee wishes to examine the nature and extent of the problems of online ‘cyber bullying’, harassment, stalking, ‘revenge porn’ and other forms of harmful communications; international best practice for addressing these problems; whether self-regulation of harmful communications by social media companies is the best approach; or whether new laws are necessary to cover such activities, and what forms such laws should take.
The Committee will commence a series of public hearings on these issues on 2 October 2019, with a view to publishing a report.
Closing date
The closing date for receipt of submissions is Friday, 20 September 2019.
How to send your submission
Please email an electronic document (PDF/MS Word or equivalent) to onlineharassment@oireachtas.ie
Please do not send hard copies of your submission; hard copies will not be accepted.
Please do not send your submission to individual Committee members. The Clerk will ensure all members receive copies of all submissions.
What to include in your submission
Your submission should comprise your submission document and a separate covering letter. This allows the Committee to publish your submission without your contact details.
In the covering letter, please include:
- your name, postal address, email address and contact telephone number
- if the submission is on behalf of an organisation, your position in the organisation
- a brief outline of why you are making the submission
In the submission document please include:
- a brief introduction, for example, explaining your area of expertise
- any factual information that you have to offer from which the Committee might be able to draw conclusions, or which could be put to other parties for their reactions
- links to any publications you refer to; there is no need to send such publications as attachments
- any recommendations to the Committee; be as specific as possible and summarise your recommendations at the end of the document
- if your document is more than 10 pages long, an executive summary of the main points made in the submission
Please remember to be concise and to number your pages.
Important information
Submissions sent to any other email address may not be accepted.
Anonymous submissions cannot be accepted and will be rejected.
Petitions and form letters may not be accepted or published.
Submissions made to a Committee may be published as received, either as part of a Committee report or separately, if the Committee decides to do so.
Making a submission is a public process
The Committee is not obliged to accept your document once it has been submitted, nor is it obliged to publish any or all of the submission if it has been accepted. However, the operations of a parliament are a public process, and you should be aware that any submissions made to a Committee including your identity may be published either as part of a Committee report, or separately, if the Committee decides to do so.
Need more guidance?
If you would like more detailed guidance, please read the guidance note Making Submissions and Presentations to Oireachtas Committees below or contact the clerk to the Committee.
Clerk to the Committee
Damian Byrne
damian.byrne@oireachtas.ie
(01) 618 3899
Committee on Justice and Equality
Committee Secretariat,
Houses of the Oireachtas Service,
Kildare Street,
Dublin 2,
D02 XR20