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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Cyberbullying legislation and report

Summary

Deputy Troy asks that his Cyberbullying Bill or an expert report be debated; the Taoiseach supports debating the report and says related legislation is expected next year.

The relocation of Ask.fm last week highlighted once again the real and substantial threat of cyberbullying and the serious consequences it can have, up to and including the loss of life. Last year I produced a Cyberbullying Bill. I refer to a departmental expert advisory group to compile a report on this issue. Will the Taoiseach consider taking my Bill in Government time so that it can be debated in the House or at the minimum that the expert advisory group report on cyberbullying would be brought to the House in order to give all the Members the opportunity to debate the findings?

I refer to the terms of reference of the independent commission to investigate mother and baby homes. Catherine Corless has further evidence to indicate that the size of the burial plot was larger than originally discovered. This has highlighted the need for the Government to live up to its commitment and to publish the terms of reference of the independent investigation. We were promised the terms of reference before the summer recess but we are now well into the Dáil year and we await them. I ask the Taoiseach to indicate when they will be published.

In the debates on the budgets for 2013 and 2014, I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the below-cost selling of alcohol. On both occasions he said that he would be bringing forward recommendations within a matter of weeks. It is now a matter of years later and we are still waiting for the Government proposal on how it plans to deal with below-cost selling of alcohol.

Comment on this
Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

That proposal will be published next year. The protection of children is a question to be discussed with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs which has the information and expertise in that regard. The Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, has responsibility for the issue of cyberbullying which is a matter of serious concern and about which I have been briefed. It is not edifying and we need to move as quickly as possible on this issue. I have no objection to the report on cyberbullying being debated in the House and I will advise Deputy Troy.

On the question about the terms of reference for the investigation into mother and baby homes, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, had a very good meeting with Catherine Corless. We are not far off publishing the terms of reference which will determine the scale, scope and length of the inquiry and who might be called. It is far more complex than one would have imagined at first instance. The Minister is anxious to move on the finalisation of the terms of reference with the Attorney General and he will bring them to the House for discussion.

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