Online Safety
Dail Éireann — 2022-11-24
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Emer Higgins (FG), Dublin Mid-West

It is fantastic to see that the responsible and ethical use of technology is very much at the core of this because that is what we want young people to do, which is to behave responsibly online towards their peers and, above all else, to stay safe.
I am aware that the Minister mentioned Webwise in her initial contribution and I have had many dealings with them. They are one of many organisations which provides fantastic resources which are there for students and teachers, but are also there for parents. I encourage parents to have a look at the online resources. Some of the social media companies offer workshops, training and explanations also. I held a number of events in my constituency in Clondalkin, Lucan and Rathcoole a number of years ago about cybersafety, online gaming and social media. It was an eye-opener to hear how much some parents knew and how other parents were struggling to keep up. All of us here, as public representatives, should be there to help our parents to keep up, even when it comes to the dictionary and the new words that children are using online now. It is about being aware and being there to support children through this. I thank the Minister very much.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:20+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-11-24