Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media to meet with Australia’s eSafety Commissioner

The meeting at 10am in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will hear first from representatives of Safety Over Stigma, followed by Ms Inman Grant and her colleague, Toby Dagg, Head of Investigations, who will both join remotely from Sydney from 10.30am to 11.30am.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Niamh Smyth said: “The Committee welcomes this opportunity to hear from Australia’s eSafety Commission, the first government agency in the world established to keep citizens safe online.

“As the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill contains a proposal for a dedicated Online Safety Commissioner here in Ireland, Members are keen to hear how the agency operates in Australia, how it handles complaints from citizens who have suffered online harm, and how it balances a free and open internet with the protection of individuals and society as a whole. We look forward to a wide-ranging discussion with Ms Inman Grant and Mr Dagg to see what Ireland can learn from the Australian experience.

“The Committee is also interested in the views and experiences of Safety Over Stigma, which acts on behalf of people who suffered harm due to intimate or explicit images being shared online – one of the most appalling abuses of the internet and social media. Protecting young and vulnerable people from this and other harmful content is at the heart of this legislation and is a key priority for this Committee.”

The Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.