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Combatting Cyberbullying

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2017

Tuesday, 28 November 2017

Ceisteanna (38)

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

38. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her role in protecting children from online bullying, abuse and grooming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50555/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)

I ask the Minister to clarify her role in protecting children from online bullying, abuse and grooming.

Protecting children from online abuse, bullying and grooming requires a whole-of-Government approach. The devastating effects are becoming increasingly obvious in our homes, schools and communities.

While my Department does not have the lead responsibility in this area, it plays an important role in a wider range of actions across a number of Departments.

Last week, I met the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, to discuss the cross-Government collaboration that is needed. Much work is being done by individual Departments. However, we need to develop an action plan involving all relevant Departments to ensure that our actions are co-ordinated, complementary and robust. It is our intention to include the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education and Skills in the development of the action plan.

I will commence all remaining provisions of the Children First Act 2015 on 11 December next. The ongoing role of the statutory Children First interdepartmental implementation group, which is chaired by my Department, is to ensure consistent implementation of the provisions of the Children First Act and guidance across Departments, the HSE, the Garda and Tusla. Issues relating to Internet safety, which have a child protection dimension and which require cross-Government collaboration or support, can be raised in that group.

The national youth health programme is a partnership between the HSE, the National Youth Council of Ireland and my Department. It aims to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion-education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings. The Web Safety in Youth Work resource, available on the National Youth Council of Ireland’s website, provides valuable advice to young people on reporting online behaviour and passing on concerns about the protection and welfare of a child or young person.

I thank the Minister for her reply. It is wonderful to hear that so many Departments are working together on this. I am a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs. Dr. Geoffrey Shannon presented a report to the committee explaining that 59% of all children between the ages of nine and 15 use electronic devices. He explained the harrowing effect online devices are having, for example, where the child does not have his or her account completely private. Sometimes a third party would be involved in putting up imagery to such Dr. Shannon referred, including "upskirting" and "downblousing". Dr. Shannon also referred to the right to take down something that might be online. I ask the Minister to liaise with the other Cabinet members, particularly the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment who has done considerable work in the field. I ask that the Minister, along with her colleagues, the Ministers for Justice and Equality, and Communications, Climate Action and Environment, appear together before the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs in order that they might hear about and understand the good work that is being done.

Parents are looking for support. What support can be offered to them and to teachers who, as we heard last week, do not feel they have the tools to do their job? How can we move forward to educate?

I would be willing to accept that invitation and I am certain that my colleagues would also. As the Deputy identified, we need a whole-of-Government approach. The Ministers whose Departments are at the forefront of the issue need to work together to identify more clearly an action plan for what each of us is doing. Together we need to ensure that plan is implemented. For example, the issues that are particularly relevant to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment are technology, the legislative framework and industry.

Combating online child grooming is particularly relevant to the Department of Justice and Equality, and is addressed as part of a wide-ranging package of measures aimed at the reform of Ireland’s criminal law on sexual offences, set out in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. The Office for Internet Safety is an executive office of the Department of Justice and Equality. We are particularly looking at reforming that or approaching it in a different way.

What are the Minister's views on creating the post of digital safety commissioner, as proposed by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs? All the witnesses who appeared before the committee agreed this would be a step in the right direction.

I compliment the Office for Internet Safety on the good work it is doing.

It produced 40,000 booklets but that is only a fraction of the number required. There are great tools in the booklet for younger children, older children, parents and teachers. If I was to make one recommendation to that Department other than that it take on more staff, it would be that the next time those books are published, more be produced. I got them in my office and from the Minister, Deputy Flanagan. As a parent and an advocate for correct usage of the Internet, I found the booklet fantastic. It is really well done. What is the strategy for the establishment of an office of digital safety commissioner? Can the Minister request the production of more of the booklets?

Regarding the Deputy's last request, that has been heard and I will take it back to the appropriate Department.

Regarding the Deputy's first issue concerning the recommendation for the establishment of an office of digital commissioner, we discussed that at the recent meeting with the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, and the Minister, Deputy Naughten. We are aware of that recommendation. What we decided as a result of our meeting, which was the first time certainly in the context of this Government that the three Departments have come together, was that we must not only put it in reports that we need to work on this together but that we must come together physically in this respect. Our officials were all present at the table and the next step would be that the officials would meet again to plan perhaps a wider and more public gathering to listen to recommendations on how best the Government should move forward in this regard. The establishment of an office of digital commissioner would be integral to considerations in that context.

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