Joe O'Reilly urges robust online age verification after Coco's Law
Joe O'Reilly spoke in the Dáil after attending a Gardaí seminar in Cavan commemorating Coco's Law and relayed a harrowing account from Coco's mother. He urged robust age verification and stronger regulation of online pornography, violence and gambling, and asked the Leader to arrange a debate and report back on government action.
Seminar and testimony
Joe O'Reilly said he attended a seminar organised by the Gardaí in his region and in Cavan to commemorate Coco's Law. He recounted that Jackie Fox, Coco's mother, gave a harrowing account of the circumstances that led to the law.
Advice on reporting cyberbullying
He told the House that people should be informed there is recourse to cyberbullying and encouraged teachers, pupils and parents to report obscene bullying to the Gardaí and to social services. He emphasised that witnesses in classrooms and communities should use the legal channels available.
Calls for age verification and regulation
O'Reilly warned that pornography, violence and gambling also come online and argued for robust age verification tools. He referred to the minister's statement that work is underway on age checks and said there must be strict regulation and dialogue with online platforms, noting the platforms are based in Ireland but still require robust engagement.
Council of Europe work and parliamentary action
He reminded the House that he authored a report for the Council of Europe on online abuse of young people that was adopted by member states. He asked the Leader to organise a debate soon and to inform members what she will bring to government from the seminar and what the government is doing on these issues.
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I want to just make the House aware I attended a very interesting seminar organised by the Gardaí in my region and in Cavan recently to commemorate Coco's Law and Jackie Fox, Coco's mother, gave a harrowing account of what gave rise to Coco's Law. So what I rise today to ask you about, Leader, is first of all to know that people be informed that there is recourse to cyberbullying, that if their children have been bullied, if they're teachers, and we have teachers and pupils in the audience here, if they're teachers in classrooms witnessing obscene bullying, etc., there are recourses in the law and they should report it to the Gardaí and to the various social services. But also the question of pornography, violence, gambling, all of that comes online as well. So we need robust age verification tools. And Minister Patrick O'Donovan has said that he's working towards those quickly. We need them. I'd like a report from the Leader on that and maybe a debate on this whole area some very soon. We need robust regulation. We need dialogue with the platforms here. They're based in Ireland, but it's nonsense to think that because they're based here that we shouldn't have robust dialogue with them about this. Of course we should. And there should be strict regulation. Our leader today, acting leader, will know that I did a report for the Council of Europe in this area and that it was adopted by all the member states there around the whole area of online abuse and online abuse of young people. So I'm asking the Leader to just to let us know about that, maybe to organise a debate and to tell me what she is going to bring to government from it and what she knows government is doing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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