Cathal Crowe
Ceist:41. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is working on any policy initiatives to make the online sphere safer for Irish children. [28269/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 2 June 2022
Ceisteanna (41)
Freagraí scríofa
A range of Government Departments and agencies have a role to play in relation to online safety. The Action Plan for Online Safety 2018 – 2019, which was launched by the then Taoiseach in July 2018, set out the range of actions and activities which were underway across six key Government Departments ((the then named) Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Education and Skills; Justice and Equality; Children and Youth Affairs; Health and Business, Enterprise and Innovation) to keep children and adults safe online. While the lifespan of this Action Plan has ended, I remain committed to working with my colleagues in a co-ordinated Government response to address issues arising.
The Children First legislation and guidance, which is under the remit of my Department, operates on the premise that it is the responsibility of everyone in society to keep children and young people safe from harm. This responsibility includes keeping children safe from harm online. As part of the Action Plan for Online Safety, in January 2019, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs published an addendum to the Children First National Guidance to include a specific reference to the need to consider online safety in the preparation of statutory risk assessments and Child Safeguarding Statements. In addition, Tusla revised its template for the completion of Child Safeguarding Statements to refer to the need to consider online risks to children if a service provides access to the internet.
My Department also provides funding to three national youth organisations that provide online safety resources for the youth sector. The National Youth Council of Ireland provides the Web Safety in Youth Work Resource, SpunOut has developed an Online Safety Hub which provides guidelines for young people on online safety and Foróige has rolled-out an online safety programme, which enables young people to engage online with safe and creative digital learning experiences.
The 2020 Programme for Government contains significant commitments relating to online safety. These relate to the enactment of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill and the establishment of an Online Safety Commissioner.
The Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill provides for the appointment of an Online Safety Commissioner, as part of a wider Media Commission, to oversee a new regulatory framework for online safety. The Commissioner will govern this new framework through binding online safety codes and robust compliance, enforcement and sanction powers. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media published the OSMR Bill 2022 in January 2022 and it was initiated in the Seanad later that month. The OSMR Bill sets out defined categories of harmful online content (e.g. cyberbullying material and material promoting eating disorders), a definition of ‘age-inappropriate online content’ and the process by which additional categories of harmful online content may be specified.
The Online Safety Commissioner will also have a role in promoting positive digital citizenship among children and young people, in conjunction with Webwise and other educational partners, schools as well as the Ombudsman for Children. The Webwise programme, funded by the Department of Education, is a key educational resource in the promotion of online safety, providing information and advice to children and young people, teachers and parents.
My colleague the Minister for Education has also brought forward significant policy initiatives in this area this year including the publication of the new Digital Strategy for Schools in April, which focusses on further embedding the use of digital technologies in all teaching, learning and assessment activities and includes building awareness and knowledge around online safety. The Department of Education is also currently reviewing the Action Plan on Bullying and the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. The review will take account of the significant developments and relevant research since the Action Plan and Anti-Bullying Procedures were first published in 2013 and it will specifically consider cyberbullying, among other areas. My Department is represented on the Steering Committee established to carry out the review and to develop a new Action Plan.