Lynch seeking cyber bullying legislation

AT the February meeting of Kilrush Town Council, Fine Gael councillor Ian Lynch requested support for legislation on Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, which would help to identify people in cases of cyber bullying.
“Where any case of cyber bullying is reported and found to be true, the IP address from which the bullying has occurred could be suspended and in more serious cases that legal action may be taken against perpetrators,” he said when asking that the Government introduce legislation to prevent cyber bullying.
“We are in an age now where  the world is now a  small place, the internet has provided us with information at the click of a button and we can stay connected 24/7 to people anywhere in the world. However, the effects of abusing this technology are never as evident in the cases of suicide caused by bulling. We have to take a stand on this and with immediate effect. The Government must introduce legislation that prevents cyber bullying  and allows for the prosecution of those found guilty,” Councillor Lynch suggested.
He is looking for the Government to introduce legislation that requires all internet users to register IP addresses and where found guilty of cyber bullying this IP address will be shut down and address owner prosecuted.
“Every device that has access to the internet has an individual and unique IP address. Registering these addresses allows a direct trace to the device and bullying claims can be investigated thoroughly. Many parents are unaware what their children are doing and this will allow more accountability for cyber users. We simply cannot ignore this issue. It is shocking to hear of children taking their own lives because of cyber bulling at an age when they should not even know the meaning of bullying,” Councillor Lynch concluded.