Top 5 Irish tech policy stories of the week

Summer?Legislative Programme published

The Government’s Summer Legislative Programme has been published, detailing the priority Bills for drafting and publication between now and July 11th when the Oireachtas goes on recess for the summer. Key legislation featured includes:?The Electoral Reform (Amendment) Bill which will provide for amendments to Part 5 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 to ensure that they comply with EU Law. This creates new obligations for platforms, including a requirement to notify the Electoral Commission of any disinformation, misinformation or manipulative and inauthentic behaviour published on its platform of which it becomes aware. The Digital Services (Levy) Bill which?will provide for Coimisiún na Meán and the CCPC to raise levies on service providers and online marketplaces in scope of the EU Digital Services Act and the EU Terrorism Content Online Regulation. The general scheme of the Bill is in preparation, and the Government has previously stated they intend to have the levy in place in 2025. And the National Cyber Security Bill which will transpose the NIS2 Directive into national law and incorporate relevant provisions to establish the National Cyber Security Centre of Ireland on a statutory basis and clarify its role. The deadline for transposition of NIS2 is October 17th, 2024.?

Digital Ireland Conference and D9+ Ministerial take place

The Digital Ireland Conference took place yesterday featuring addresses from the new Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke TD and?Minister for Company Regulation, Digital and Trade Promotion, Dara Calleary TD. Digital regulation and AI were the subject of panel discussions. Today, Minister Calleary is hosting the D9+ Ministerial Meeting with representatives from the D9+ group of digitally advanced member states.

Tánaiste discusses child online safety?

During his speech at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, Tánaiste Micheál Martin referred to the impact of social media and constantly being online on children as the “new public health crisis”. He noted that Fianna Fáil?have made the first step by sending guidance to schools regarding smartphone use but that they need to go “much further”. He said that a joint initiative will be prepared by the departments of health and education with clear, accessible guidance for parents regarding their child and the online world. He also said that every school will be given funding to support banning of smartphone use during school time. He said that his message to social media companies is to “take concrete steps to get underage children off your apps or we will impose those steps on you.” Ahead of the Ard Fheis Martin was asked if there was any visionary headline policy that his party would like to attach themselves to looking forward, Martin raised the issue of the damage social media is doing to young people. He said that we need serious public debate regarding this and that the government will engage with social media companies.

Online Safety Codes due in coming months

Speaking on Prime Time this week?Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly ?said that he had??spoke to Coimisiún na Meán ?and that they are hoping that the new online safety code will be published “in the coming months".

Children and AI discussed before Committee

This week a number of social media companies appeared before the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to discuss the protection of children and the use of AI. Topics discussed included the harm social media is potentially doing to?children, keeping under 13 year olds off apps, age verification via ID and negative algorithms.