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The Irish EU Presidency today secured a doubling of spending on making the Internet safer for children.

A meeting of EU Communications Ministers in Luxembourg today agreed to spend €45 million between next year and 2008 on its second Safer Internet Plan, almost double that provided in the first programme which concluded two years ago. The new programme will continue to promote safer use of the Internet and new online technologies particularly for children. It will spearhead the fight against illegal, harmful or unwanted content.

Much of the funding will go to support whistleblower hotlines across the EU, particularly funding for new accession States. The scope is to be broadened to include new media and new issues such as Spam. The focus will remain on parents, educators and children. Hotlines provide police and the relevant authorities with vital information in exposing and curbing child trafficking and child pornography.

Dermot Ahern TD, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, who chaired today’s meeting in Luxembourg, said: “The decision to allocate €45 million for the Safer Internet Action Plan underpins Member States commitment to tackling the evil of child pornography. Not all Member States were in agreement with today’s funding proposal but after setting out the needs and benefits of the Action Plan we were able to secure agreement.”

“I am confident that the new European Parliament will endorse today’s decision when they convene shortly to study the new Action Plan. The EU Safer Internet projects have already proved their worth. Last October it led to remarkable achievements, including the October 2003 break-up of a world-wide child-porn ring thanks to a tip from the Internet hotline association.”

One survey recently revealed that almost half of all young people in Northern Europe have been approached to meet in person after initially making contact online. EU Safety, Awareness, Facts and Tools (SAFT) - a cross-European project that aims to promote safe use of the Internet among children and young people - found that 46% of children in Northern Europe who chat on the internet say someone has used it to ask to meet them and 14% have actually met someone in this way. However, only 4% of parents believe that their children have done so. And a Eurobarometer survey has revealed that half of Europe's parents do not think their children know what to do if a situation on the Internet makes them uncomfortable.

About the Action Plan

The action blueprint is: fighting illegal content; tackling unwanted and harmful content (including spam); promoting a safer environment, and awareness-raising.

In addition to improving hotlines where the public can report dangerous Internet sites, the programme will provide funding for technological measures that limit the amount of unwanted and harmful content which they receive, or can be used to assess the effectiveness of available filtering technology. Funding will also be available to support the development of effective filtering technology and promote exchanges of information and best practice on effective anti-spam enforcement.

For further media information, please contact:

Richard Moore Press Advisor Office: +353 1 678 2440 Mobile: 087- 241 4751
Tom Mc Loughlin Press Officer Office +353 1 678 2441Mobile: 087-9370780
Tel: +353-1-6782446 ¨ Fax: +353-1-6782739 ¨ E-Mail: press.office@dcmnr.gov.ie

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