601. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position in relation to future and likely policy developments on Internet privacy and data protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32736/15]

Internet governance concerns the development and application of shared principles, procedures and mechanisms that inform and affect how the internet functions and how people use the internet. My Department engages in a variety of fora contributing to the discussion and shaping of internet governance policy, including at the Council of Europe, the European Union and the United Nations. Preserving the human rights of individuals online, including their privacy, remain at the centre of our policy positions in the various different international fora in which we operate. At a European Union level, online privacy is generally dealt with through data protection legislation, including the proposed General Data Protection Regulation.