I thank Deputy Ward for submitting this very important Topical Issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy O’Callaghan. I commend Deputy Ward on his proactivity both here this morning and in the Seanad when he served there. I commend the former Senator, Lisa Chambers, and Deputy Ward on their work on this particular matter. I acknowledge the important concerns raised by Deputy Ward regarding the dangers posed by online catfishing. He has rightly illustrated and outlined a number of prominent examples we have seen. The Internet has undoubtedly transformed our lives for the better, fostering global connections, enabling remote work and providing vital platforms for communication. This digital transformation has also introduced serious challenges, however, especially when it comes to online safety and personal security. One of the fundamental risks of online interactions is anonymity. While anonymity can be a force for good in certain contexts, it can also facilitate harmful behaviour, including bullying, stalking, fraud and breaches of privacy. Catfishing exemplifies this darker side of online engagement. As Deputy Ward has said, it is where individuals create false identities to deceive others, often with devastating consequences. Deputy Ward is correct; it is about the damage, the immorality and the fear it creates. Victims of catfishing experience significant emotional distress, financial loss and, in some cases, reputational harm. These cases are not isolated to one victim alone. Those whose identities are stolen also suffer. As more relationships and interactions begin online, it is crucial we explore ways to protect individuals from this deceptive practice. We are talking about people here. I hope the Department will reflect on the points Deputy Ward made in his contribution. The Government has already taken significant steps to enhance online safety through various regulatory measures. The EU Digital Services Act is a key framework ensuring online platforms take greater responsibility in preventing harmful activities and protecting users. Nationally, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act marked a turning point, shifting the burden from self-regulation to enforceable accountability. Coimisiún na Meán, the new media regulator, has recently adopted its online safety code, which mandates video-sharing platforms to curb harmful content and introduce stronger reporting mechanisms. We all share the view that some of those entities could do a lot more work in that area. In addition, our criminal justice framework has been strengthened. The Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 has broadened harassment laws to include impersonation and the unauthorised disclosure of private information. The Harassment and Harmful Communications Act, or Coco’s Law, further criminalised abusive online behaviour while existing fraud legislation already penalises impersonation for financial gain. It is essential these laws are fully utilised and enforced. Education and awareness also play a vital role in ensuring Internet users, particularly young people, recognise the signs of deceptive behaviour and protect themselves accordingly. This debate is an opportunity to reflect on any remaining gaps in our legal and regulatory framework. The Deputy highlighted a number of these, in particular the issue that catfishing is not against the law. It is important we all ensure our response remains robust and that victims of online impersonation have the protections and recourse they deserve.

Sentiment score: 0.11

I reiterate that online catfishing is not a trivial issue. It is a very serious matter that has a real and lasting impact on the victim both emotionally and financially. The anonymity the Internet affords cannot be an excuse for deception and harm. I fully agree with the thrust of what the Deputy said. While we have strong legislative measures in place, we must continue to assess whether further steps are needed. I hope this debate will be a stepping stone and starting point. The enforcement of our existing laws is critical and public awareness must remain a priority. Education campaigns, guidance from regulators such as Coimisiún na Meán and vigilance from online platforms are all essential components of the broader strategy. At the same time, personal responsibility is key. Simple precautions, such as verifying online identities, being cautious with personal information and reporting suspicious behaviour can help mitigate risks. Nobody should feel unsafe or deceived when engaging online. It is important we strike a balance between protecting legitimate anonymity and preventing the exploitation of others. The points made by the Deputy are ones we need to take cognisance of. As legislators, we have a duty to ensure victims of online deception have the protections they need, including that suite of measures the Deputy spoke about, and that those who engage in catfishing are held accountable for their actions. This discussion is an important step in ensuring our laws continue to evolve in response to the challenges of the digital age. The Deputy is right. Catfishing cannot be allowed or condoned in any shape or form. The people affected are not anonymous. They are people we all know. They are victims and we need to ensure they are protected. I thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to the House. I look forward to working with him and the Department of Justice in ensuring we can enhance whatever suite of measures we need and protect the people we need to. I thank the Deputy.

Sentiment score: 0.08

I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this very important matter. I concur completely that the biggest need is for bus services to be reliable and on time. We share the belief that should not just be an aspiration but a reality for the consumer, the travelling public. I thank the Deputy and appreciate the issues she has outlined in her contribution. I commit to bringing the issues she has raised back to the Department. I have not got all the answers for her this morning as I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I clarify at the beginning that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The NTA has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and works with the public transport operators that deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That said, I reassure the Deputy that, as outlined in the programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, the Government is strongly committed to enhancing transportation networks and infrastructure development and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, under budget 2025 the Department of Transport secured €658.442 million of funding for PSO and TFI Local Link services. This represents an increase from €613.813 million in 2024. This package includes funding for the continuation of the various fare initiatives, such as the young adult card and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2025. Funding has also been provided to extend free child fares on PSO services to include those aged five to eight years old and to support the roll-out of new and enhanced bus and rail services under programmes such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland. The Deputy is right when she says that we can have all those wonderful measures but if the service is not reliable and there is an issue with buses not being on time or not turning up, all of that counts for nothing. I concur as a Member who lives in an urban constituency and understands the importance of the issues the Deputy is speaking of. The Deputy is right and I will bring that back this afternoon. BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system to provide better bus services across our cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State and is managed by the NTA. The aim of the network is to improve the existing Transport for Ireland system through enhanced services with high-frequency spines and new orbital and radial routes. Phase 6a involves the E-spine of the BusConnects network redesign project. It was launched on 26 January 2025 and includes the introduction of two 24-hour spines - routes E1 and E2 - which serve areas including Bray, the city centre, Ballymun and Santry. It also provides new local and Xpress routes including L1, L2, L3, L12, L14, L15, L26, L27, X1 and X2 serving Greystones, Newcastle, Kilternan, Blackrock and more. The Bray to city centre core bus corridor will support integrated sustainable transport usage through infrastructure improvements for active travel and the provision of enhanced bus priority measures for all services that will use the corridor. The aim of these works is to provide improved bus, cycling and walking infrastructure on this key access corridor in the Dublin region, which will enable and deliver efficient, safe and integrated sustainable transport movement along the corridor. The core bus corridor scheme is a key measure that delivers on commitments within the National Development Plan 2021-2030, the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042, the climate action plan and the National Planning Framework 2040. I understand the Department of Transport is engaging with the NTA regarding recent issues concerning particular bus services that are, as outlined by Deputy Whitmore, operated by Go-Ahead Ireland across some of its greater Dublin area routes. I am advised these issues are linked to fleet reliability issues across its network of services in Dublin due to a shortfall of mechanics. As the Deputy rightly said, the company has advertised for this role. This has had a knock-on impact on the routes launched in the Bray and Greystones area on 26 January as part of phase 6a of the BusConnects network redesign programme. The NTA will continue to monitor the situation closely. It is receiving daily reports from Go-Ahead Ireland on service availability by route. I have been advised the latest reports indicate a significant improvement in the situation. I will be interested to hear the Deputy's reply on that. I reassure her that all of us - the Department of Transport, the NTA and the public transport operators - must work to ensure the customer has a reliable service, as she has outlined, and the resources will meet passenger demand. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.

Sentiment score: 0.31

I thank Deputy Whitmore again for her contribution and for bringing the matter to the House. I assure her I fully recognise that transport connectivity is hugely important for the people who live, work and study in the areas she has mentioned and across urban and rural areas. It is vital and key to revitalising our villages, towns and urban centres. I accept the challenges we have heard this morning and I will work with the Deputy to bring the issues she has raised back to the Department. I fully agree with the Deputy that reliability is critical. That is the end of the discussion; it has to be. By expanding the public transport network and increasing service levels, as outlined in policies like Connecting Ireland and BusConnects, and as committed to in the programme for Government, the Government will aim to achieve with the providers more balanced regional development and greater connectivity for all public transport users. I can assure Deputy Whitmore that I will take the points she has made with regard to the 84X, X1 and X2 bus services and bring them back to the Department, which I hope will liaise with the providers and the NTA. BusConnects has already achieved significant success in transforming Dublin's public transport network. In the latest progress report, published in the summer, comparisons were made between network redesign phases 1 to 5a before launch, from quarter 4 of 2019, and after launch, from 2023. The programme has led to a substantial increase in service levels. Customer satisfaction research into phases 1 to 4 of the network redesign project shows an 80% level of user satisfaction. There is, however, a piece that we need to get right. I concur with Deputy Whitmore in that regard. I can reassure her that the NTA and the Department of Transport will continue to work closely with the operators to enhance the punctuality and reliability of public transport services, both on existing routes and in the new services which continue to be rolled out. As I mentioned earlier, I have been advised that the NTA is liaising and working closely with Go-Ahead Ireland to improve service delivery on the impacted routes and that improvements have already taken place. Further, through initiatives such as the implementation of new ticketing technologies, we are taking steps to enhance capacity and improve the overall transport experience for members. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, I again thank Deputy Whitmore for raising these matters this morning. I assure her that I will bring her concerns back. It is important that we listen, hear and engage.

Sentiment score: 0.40