The Seanad's Independent Group of Senators is calling for the Government to take action to combat the availability of images of sexual abuse to internet users in Ireland.
Their motion highlights the fact that a child abuse image is a crime scene and a digital record of sexual abuse being perpetrated against a child.
They are calling for Minister for Justice Alan Shatter to introduce systems to block access to websites containing child abuse material.
Minister Shatter respnded saying "the Government is fully committed to fighting child sexual abuse, including the issue of child sexual abuse images on the internet.
"There are no easy solutions... The internet is a
worldwide phenomenon with no borders and no single organisation controlling it."
The Minister added that the Department has been conducting a wide-ranging review of the law on sexual offences and that he expects to bring legislative proposals in the form of a Sexual Offences Bill to Government in the coming months.
