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Seanad
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Children and mobile phones

Summary

Senator Lombard called for a broader debate on children’s technology use and when they should get mobile phones. Senator Ahearn agreed and added his own concerns, then raised a separate issue about a gun club and game hunting.

I will raise an issue the majority of households with kids who have gone back to school are dealing with at present. Kids are detoxing themselves from technology. They have been off school for the past two weeks, and have been on phones, PlayStations and so on for the past two and a half weeks. A significant debate is required by society and both Houses regarding where we are going with technology when it comes to kids. When is the right time to get a mobile phone for your child? Is it at the Confirmation stage or first year in secondary school? We are giving children access to mobile phones at an exceptionally young age, which gives them access to who knows what, and who knows where the predators are? There is a lack of information and understanding and a need for parents to have some kind of help along this journey because technology is now becoming a huge part of every child's life. I have four kids from the ages of six to 12 and iPads and phones are a significant drain on families, as are the games they play and their suitability.

We need to have a debate in the House with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on his views regarding this technology. I met a parent in Kinsale last Sunday who had every iPad and phone in the boot of the car because he was detoxing his children before they went back to school. I knew exactly what he was on about. I could feel the pain. I know it and we live and go through it. This is a bizarre situation. I attended a meeting on digital safety about three weeks ago. The interaction from parents on this issue was amazing. They told stories about anger issues, in particular, with certain kids regarding certain games they played.

It is important that we have a debate, particularly as this has got out of control. It is nuts. Society needs to realise that it is not right to give a child a phone at nine years of age and leave them off with it. We need to educate parents.

Comment on this

I second what Senator Lombard said. It gives me a bit of concern. I am at the stage with my kids where we are looking at "PAW Patrol" and a little four-month-old is turning over. When they get to the 10, 11 or 12 years of age, they will have access to mobile phones. There is no regulation in that regard. We need to have a serious discussion about this matter.

The Ardfinnan, Ballybacon, Grange and Newcastle Gun Club has been in existence for years. It has about 90 members. I have referred to it in the Seanad on previous occasions. The club has a number of serious concerns about game hunting, its organisation and the things it loves most. Its members are seeking some reassurance. I hope the Acting Leader might be able to get some answers from the two Departments and Ministers concerned. The first issue relates to firearms. The latter are the responsibility of the Minister for Justice. The club wants assurances that the proposals put forward by the firearms expert committee will be backed by publicly available data and that all affected parties, including firearm owners and those who will be most impacted by the increased restrictions, will have a voice in the making of the final decisions. Another concern the club has, which I raised previously, relates to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, regarding having full and public visibility of the available data the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, is using to inform decisions on the review of the open seasons order and transparency regarding the stakeholders the NPWS is engaging with as part of public consultation.

I have visited these groups. I have been to the Knockmealdown Mountains to discuss their concerns. They are more concerned than anyone else about the wildlife in the area and preserving the area. They love what they do, but they love the region and their area even more. They feel that many decisions are being made without their having an input. They feel helpless and that they cannot offer their views. They understand the region and their area better than most. All they are asking for is a bit of inclusion and understanding of what they do. I ask for some answers to my questions.

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