Gabhaim buíochas le mo chomrádaithe, na Teachtaí Devine agus Carthy, as ucht an Bille seo a chur os ár gcomhair. Cuirim fáilte roimh na cuairteoirí atá sa Ghailearaí. The Grok scandal has been the stuff of nightmares, showing us what a dystopian, misogynistic hellscape the Internet can be, its owners conniving villains willing to sit back and even relish the most degrading acts against women and children. Our do-nothing Government sat on its hands and watched it all unfold while continuing to pander to the tech overlords. Intimate image abuse is widespread. It disproportionately affects women and needs to be removed, root and branch. Part of that means that our Government needs to finally grow up and stand up to the platforms that are facilitating these egregious harms once and for all. Another part of the response has to be banning the creation of deepfake intimate images. As it stands, there is an ambiguity in Coco's Law regarding the generation of sexualised AI imagery. The amending Bill before us tonight addresses this gap and would ensure that victims have recourse to the criminal justice system. To date, they have been left to suffer the consequences in silence. The consequences of this despicable offence should not be underestimated. We are talking here about people's lives being destroyed. We must not downplay cyber violence because it takes place in a digital environment and behind a supposed veil of anonymity. Our approach must be unequivocal and agile, reflecting the changing technological situation and our understanding of the harm caused. In keeping with the gravity of this offence, our amending legislation provides for increased maximum penalties upon conviction. Sinn Féin is bringing forward this legislation because the Government has failed to act in a timely manner. We have to act now to protect the women and children of Ireland. We need a step change from Government when it comes to online safety and supporting this legislation would be a strong first step in that direction.

Sentiment score: -0.12