The Office for Internet Safety (OIS) has been established as an executive office within my Department and has taken over the formal role of the Internet Advisory Board in terms of monitoring industry self-regulation in relation to illegal content on the internet. This is an important step in building the best possible protection for the community at large, and in particular for children, from the downside of the internet.
The EU has taken a strong line on combating child pornography and other illegal and harmful use of the internet to date and the Office for Internet Safety is closely involved in this work. In January 1999 the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted the Action Plan on promoting safe use of the Internet by combating illegal and harmful content on global networks. By force of this document the European Commission launched a new programme — Safer Internet Action Plan (SIAP) — to promote safe use of the Internet and other new technologies, including the new generation of mobile phones, online games, chatrooms, and instant messaging software.
The first edition of the Safer Internet Programme ran from 1999-2002. During this period 37 projects across the EU were co-funded under the programme, which was further extended to cover the period 2003-2004 with another 52 projects financed. The second edition of the Safer Internet Programme took place between 2005-2008. The third edition of the programme approved by the Council of the European Union in December 2008 is scheduled to run from 2009-2013 and will have the overall aim of supporting safer use of internet technologies, especially for children. The Office for Internet Safety was actively engaged in providing input into the development of the proposal from an Irish perspective. The Office is also represented on the EU's Management Committee for the Safer Internet Programme.
The Safer Internet Ireland (SII) project is the current Irish project funded under the Safer Internet Programme and comprises a consortium of industry, education, child welfare and government partners to provide Safer Internet awareness campaigns, hotline and helpline functions and other related activities for the Republic of Ireland. The project is coordinated by the OIS to develop national initiatives promoting the safer use of electronic media and enhance protection of the vulnerable, particularly children, against the downside of the Internet. This consortium builds on the experience gained from the previous highly successful but independently run Safer Internet projects.
In addition, the Office for Internet Safety actively participates in EU activities which seek to promote internet safety, including the annual EU Safer Internet Forum and EU Safer Internet Day. Safer Internet Day 2009 took place on 10 February 2009. To mark the day, the Office produced an information leaflet for parents on Internet Safety and a bookmark for children with "Top Tips for Safer Use of Social-Networking Sites". In conjunction with its partners in the Safer Internet Ireland project, the Office was involved in the launch of a new video campaign "Watch Your Space — Stop Cyberbullying" which is currently running on a number of television channels and online media in Ireland. The Office for Internet Safety will continue to work closely with its EU counterparts to ensure the ongoing promotion of the internet safety agenda. Further information on the activities of the Office for Internet Safety is available on its website www.internetsafety.ie.