The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD, has announced the establishment of an Internet Content Governance Advisory Group under the chairmanship of Dr Brian O’Neill of the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).
The Minister remarked “I am very pleased that the Advisory Group has had its first meeting and will conduct a public consultation on issues of internet governance including bullying and harassment online.’
The Minister welcomed the Group’s agreement on a comprehensive Terms of Reference, remarking that “[i]n positioning Ireland as a global leader in technological innovation and entrepreneurship, it is important that we match this commitment with a commitment to facilitate a safe and encouraging online environment for society and particularly for children and young people.”
Dr O’Neill noted that the Group were committed to producing a report for the Minister in 2014 and that “our report will be focused on identifying specific areas where the existing regulatory and legislative frameworks for internet governance in Ireland could be improved and will make concise recommendations on how to address these issues.”
The Advisory Group will hold a public consultation early this year and will use submissions from interested stakeholders as a basis for their report, along with international best practice.
ENDS
Note to Editors
Minister Rabbitte established the Internet Content Advisory Group in December 2013 to assist him in forming legislative, policy and regulatory recommendations to Government on the areas of internet governance which fall under his remit.
The Group will conduct a public consultation on issues of internet governance, including bullying and harassment online, early in 2014 and will then prepare and submit a report to the Minister in the first half of 2014 outlining their views on:
- Whether the existing national regulatory and legislative frameworks around electronic communications, internet governance and the sharing of material online remain relevant;
- Whether other existing policy responses by the State remain sufficient in relation to dealing with any of these issues;
- What the most appropriate relationship should be between ISPs, online service providers, the State and citizens in relation to access to legal material and bullying and harassment online.
Membership of the Group:
Chair - Brian O'Neill
Brian O’Neill is Head of the School of Media at Dublin Institute of Technology.
Mary Aiken
Mary Aiken is the Director of the Cyber Psychology Research Centre at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Research Fellow at the RCSI Institute of Leadership.
Professor Joe Carthy
Professor Carthy is College Principal and Dean of Science at UCD, Director of the UCD Centre for Cyber security and Cybercrime Investigation (CCI).
Áine Lynch
Áine Lynch is the CEO of the National Parents Council (primary).
Kate O’Sullivan
Kate O’Sullivan has been with UPC since 2006 and is Vice President corporate affairs.
Ronan Lupton
Ronan Lupton is a practicing Barrister, specialising in the areas of commercial law, chancery, defamation, intellectual property / copyright and competition law.