Overnight we learned of an historic legal judgment in the case taken in the US by parents of a minor against big tech on the causes of harm to minors. Essentially, it is the first time ever that a jury has found that the design of social media, not the content, can cause harm to minors. Platforms such as Meta and YouTube were found negligent and liable for failing to warn users, with evidence showing they knew about the risks of compulsive use, mental health impacts and harmful design features. For the first time, this shifts accountability from users to those with corporate responsibility for the operation of those platforms. This ruling opens the door for thousands more lawsuits but for us, as legislators, I see three immediate significant implications.

First, it potentially has significant implications for EU policy in terms of strengthening the momentum for EU action on platform design risks. It creates international legal pressure for the first time as well, which may influence EU regulators. However, the implications for the tech sector, which is a huge sector in our economy, are that it shifts the regulatory focus from content moderation to product design and arguably signals a big tobacco moment for the tech sector. It is something we all need to engage with and inform ourselves about. Finally, this is a human issue and incredibly important. The implications for public health are enormous. It reinforces the evidence that links platform design to mental health harms, including anxiety, depression and body image, and supports stricter youth protection measures, which my party has been calling for. I would appreciate if the Leader organised a debate in the House with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan.

Before I finish, I give a huge shout-out to our boys in green. For 90 minutes tonight, the whole country will hold its breath. I am conscious that in the north inner city we have our heroes, and they are not just Troy Parrott, Kellie Harrington, Barry Keoghan and Pierce O'Leary, who are heroes and they get awards and medals for good reason. However, the superheroes in the north inner city are the parents, mammies, daddies, grannies, grandads, teachers and coaches. I am thinking of the guys and girls - the mentors - in Belvedere and Sheriff and right across to the Dublin Docklands Boxing Club. All these people give up their time to nurture young people in the heart of the inner city to create the amazing champions who will have the whole country holding its breath and cheering Ireland on tonight. Our hearts are with them. We are proud of them for being there and, more than anything, we are proud of those who helped to get them there.