"We had a productive discussion today with regulators and An Garda Síochána on their key role in the emerging Online Safety Framework, and their plans to progress this work, which is so important to ensure our most vulnerable groups are protected appropriately.

In particular, Comisiún na Meán’s new Online Safety Code, which will be adopted next month, the EU Digital Services Act and the EU AI Act are significant tools in ensuring a safe online environment.

Ireland plays a key role at both a national and EU level in regulating the digital world, and we are now at a critical point in this important work. To that end, the Government has today re-iterated our strong commitment to ensuring our regulators are supported and enabled to carry out this work effectively, both to protect citizens and provide certainty for industry. We will continue to engage closely with the European Commission, to ensure a coherent and effective digital regulatory framework.

I want to ensure that all citizens are aware of their rights and the obligations on platforms under this new online safety framework. I look forward to engaging further with relevant stakeholders in the coming weeks, with a particular focus on the safety of children and young people online.”

“It’s important that there’s a clear understanding across the system, and across society in general of the rights and obligations that the new digital regulatory framework brings, as we aim to rebalance the responsibilities of users, platforms, and public authorities, placing citizens at the centre.

Coimisiún na Meán is central to that work, and today’s Summit emphasised the Government’s firm commitment and support to them in their important role. I look forward to the adoption of the new Online Safety Code in the coming weeks.”