Online Safety: Motion Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-26 ============================================================ Gareth Scahill (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach I welcome the Minister. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for tabling the motion. I will begin by referring to a short film available online called "Let's Change the Norm". I am sure people are familiar with it. It was released by Smartphone Free Childhood in the US. It struck a chord with millions of people because it highlights something that many of us, especially parents, can see happening every day. The film shows how smartphones and social media place huge pressure on our children and calls for a return to a childhood filled with play, real relationships and real-world experiences. The film makes the very simple but powerful point that we ask children to deal with adult-sized challenges before they are ready. There are constant notifications, online bullying, addictive platforms, harmful content and, increasingly, serious risks such as hacking and sexploitation. As a parent this is deeply worrying. It is not just about a debate in the Chamber but the reality for families throughout the country. At the same time, we must recognise the bigger picture. As the motion sets out, we are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation. Artificial intelligence is changing how we live, how we work and how we interact. Ireland is in a very strong position. Through Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future we have a clear plan to grow our digital economy and lead in AI. The programme for Government reflects this ambition to use technology to improve public services and grow our economy. We are also playing a leading role in Europe through our engagement at EU level, including through the D9+ group, and we are helping to shape digital rules that support innovation and strong protections. As we prepare for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Europe in 2026, we have a real opportunity to lead on this. We will host an international AI and digital summit and we will help to shape Europe's approach to technology for years to come. Leadership is not just about innovation; it is also about responsibility. While technology is moving fast, the risks for children are also growing and this is why the motion is important. It recognises that Ireland now has a stronger online safety framework, including the Digital Services Act and the work of Coimisiún na Meán. It also makes clear that we cannot stand still. New challenges will continue to emerge and we must be ready to respond. We also need practical solutions. A key area is age verification, and we need to be able to clearly identify when a child is online and ensure they are protected from inappropriate content. This morning on the plinth, I met a primary school group Senator Cathal Byrne had up from Wexford. We answered a couple of questions from the primary school going kids. One of them mentioned that when they watch YouTube videos sometimes inappropriate ads come up. This was a 12-year-old boy. He said there were inappropriate ads and asked whether we were doing something and what were we going to do to stop this content coming up in front of him. Ireland is already working on this and that includes plans for a pilot age verification system with the major platforms. I must highlight the fact that X has still to acknowledge whether it will participate in this scheme. Alongside this, the development of a digital wallet offers real potential. It could provide a secure and privacy-friendly way for people to verify their age online without sharing unnecessary personal information. This is an important step in building trust in the digital system. The motion also calls for action at European level, including discussion on a digital age of majority and stronger rules to protect children under 16 on social media. These are not easy issues but they are necessary. We also need to remember that online safety is not just about regulation or technology; it is about people. I am sure colleagues have all received emails in the past week from youth organisations, which play a pivotal role throughout Ireland. They provide safe trusted spaces where young people can talk about what they experience online. They offer support when things go wrong and they help young people to build the skills and confidence to navigate the digital world safely. If we are serious about online safety we must continue to support and invest in this work. Safety online starts with trust, relationships and education online. In the end, this is about balance. We want Ireland to be a leader in digital innovation. We want to grow our economy and embrace the digital opportunities of AI but we must do this in a way that protects our children. We must make sure that progress does not come at the cost of childhood. "Let's Change the Norm" is a powerful reminder of what is at stake. Today, through the motion, we have a chance to respond and build a digital future that is not only innovative but also safe, fair and centred on the well-being of our young people. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-26/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-26