Minister Fitzgerald meets Paul Durrant, CEO of ISPAI and General Manager of Hotline.ie
Minister Fitzgerald meets Paul Durrant, CEO of ISPAI and General Manager of Hotline.ie

 

 

Wednesday 4 February 2015

 

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD today acknowledged the 15th anniversary of Hotline.ie and commended the website on its continued valuable work.

Commenting on the excellent work that the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland is doing in running Hotline.ie, Minister Fitzgerald stated: "Hotline.ie is fighting against illegal content on the Internet and in particular the crime of child pornography. This ongoing partnership between Government, industry and law enforcement contributes greatly to combating crimes against children on the internet in Ireland."

Hotline.ie is the confidential reporting service for illegal content on the internet in Ireland. It provides the opportunity for members of the general public to make anonymous reports about suspected illegal content on the internet. It then analyses the reports and passes on the relevant reports to An Garda Síochána.

Members of the public are making reports to Hotline.ie in increasing numbers. In the second half of 2014 Hotline.ie processed almost as many reports (2,517) as received in the whole of 2013 (2,568).

Hotline.ie is one of four partner organisations with the Office for Internet Safety in the Department of Justice and Equality in the EU Safer Internet Programme. That programme provides awareness raising about internet safety as well as help lines and the hotline in Ireland.

The Minister concluded by extending her congratulations to the reporting service.

"I congratulate Hotline.ie on its first fifteen years in operation and hope to see this excellent work continued."

 

ENDS...//

 

Notes for editors

Hotline.ie has been operated by the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland since 1999. The operation is funded by the ISPAI and by EU funding which is channelled to the ISPAI through the Office for Internet Safety in the Department of Justice and Equality.

The ISPAI is one of four partner organisations with the Office for Internet Safety in the EU Safer Internet Programme. The other partner organisations are:

·    Childline – operated by the ISPCC

·    The Professional Development Service for Teachers Technology in Education – part of the Department of Education and Skills (awareness raising)

 

·    National Parents Council (Primary) (helpline for parents).

 

The Annual Report for Hotline.ie for the year 2013 and which was launched by the Minister in May 2014 can be accessed at http://www.hotline.ie/2013/report2013.pdf