Speech by Minister Jim O’Callaghan at the Irish Internet Hotline Annual Report 2025

*Check Against Delivery

13 May 2026

Good morning,

It is a pleasure to be here to launch the 2025 Annual Report for the Irish Internet Hotline.

I’d like to begin by saying a sincere thank you to the Chair, Brian (Nisbet), and the CEO, Mick (Moran) for the invitation, and for your continued leadership.

The work of the Irish Internet Hotline is not always visible, but it is essential, and it is carried out to a very high standard.

The theme of this year’s report “The Work You Don’t See” captures that reality very well.

I also want to thank the entire team for the commitment, professionalism, and care you bring to this work every day.

It is not easy, it requires judgment, resilience and a strong sense of purpose, and it makes a real difference in protecting people, particularly children from harm online.

Your work is complex - reviewing material, making difficult decisions, working with partners across jurisdictions, and ensuring that harmful content is acted on quickly and effectively.

For most people, that work remains invisible. But its impact is immense.

It is felt in the removal of harmful material, in the disruption of criminal activity, and in the protection of those who might otherwise be at risk.

But it is also important to remember the people behind these reports.

At the centre of this work are vulnerable victims, people whose images, experiences, and abuse are being circulated online without consent, often repeatedly and across multiple platforms.

And in many cases, these victims are children.

Children who have suffered some of the most horrific forms of abuse and exploitation imaginable. Many remain unidentified. Many will never know where images of their abuse have been shared or viewed. Yet the harm caused does not end when the original abuse ends. The continued circulation of this material prolongs that trauma and compounds its impact.

That is why the work of the Irish Internet Hotline matters so much. Every report processed, every piece of material identified, and every referral made is part of a wider effort to protect victims, prevent further harm, and ensure that this abuse is not ignored or normalised online.

Today is an opportunity not only to reflect on the findings of the report, but to recognise the scale and importance of that work and the people behind it.

I note last year that Irish Internet Hotline processed more than 61,000 reports, the highest number in its 26-year history.

That tells me that people are paying attention. It tells me that when individuals encounter harmful content, more are choosing to report it.

This matters, because the system depends on people taking that step.

Because of those reports, more than 50,000 items of illegal content were confirmed.

Behind those figures is constant assessment, coordination, and action, often across multiple jurisdictions and in very challenging circumstances.

And behind those figures are people whose lives have been impacted by serious abuse and exploitation, reinforcing the importance of sustained action in this area.

Child Sexual Abuse Material remains the most significant category dealt with by the IIH.

In 2025, 49,808 such reports were processed - an increase of 10.8% compared with 2024.

Encouragingly, a removal rate of 99.6% per cent was achieved globally for this category demonstrating the effectiveness of international cooperation and established notice and take down systems ensuring that this material is acted on swiftly.

Within that, 7,877 reports were directly actioned by analysts-assessed, confirmed, and referred for removal and onward transmission to An Garda Síochána. That represents a 53% decrease on the previous year.

Importantly, this reduction does not indicate any decline in the presence of illegal material online. Rather, it reflects a shift in how that material is being distributed behind paywalls.

As a result, while analysts may still identify strong indicators that such material exists, they are not always able to directly access and verify if for classification and action.

We are also seeing shifts in the types of harm being reported.

Reports of intimate image abuse continue to increase.

Last year, 862 reports were recorded, making it the second largest category of illegal content handled by the Irish Internet Hotline and it is reasonable to suggest that these figures reflect an increased awareness of the legislation and a growing confidence in victims who come forward to report.

There are other trends emerging too. Reports of online sexual extortion fell to 136 in 2025.

While that decrease is welcome, it remains a serious issue. The data shows that young adults, particularly those aged between 18 and 24, are most affected, and that most victims are male. That tells us clearly where awareness and prevention efforts need to be focused.

It is difficult to hear that some young men in these circumstances feel they are not a victim of a crime, but the reality is, they are.

This can happen to anyone and An Garda Síochána is available to help victims of this crime and they will pursue prosecutions against those who perpetrate it.

This is a serious crime of a sexual nature and the only way to target these individuals is for people to come forward and report it.

More broadly, the online environment continues to evolve, whether through financial scams, exploitation, or new forms of harmful content. The challenges are changing, and our response must keep pace.

That is why the role of the Irish Internet Hotline is so important.

It sits at the centre of a wider network, working with An Garda Síochána, with European partners, and through the INHOPE network to ensure that reports lead to action.

I also want to acknowledge the organisation’s application to become a trusted flagger under the EU Digital Services Act. If granted, this will mean that reports submitted by the Irish Internet Hotline are prioritised by online platforms, helping to ensure that illegal content is addressed more quickly.

That is a practical step, that can make a real difference.

But work like this doesn’t happen in isolation.

It is supported by a broader framework of legislation, regulation, and cooperation at both national and European level.

Ireland has strong legislation in place, but we cannot afford to become complacent, particularly as the nature of these offences continues to evolve alongside new technologies.

Increasingly, we are seeing recognition of the deeply harmful effects of pornography and the use of AI to generate "deepfakes" or other pornographic material.

We must ensure that our laws respond to this ongoing threat that is distorting the perception of sexuality amongst teenage children and young adults, particularly young men.

I have made a decision that this issue will play an important agenda item in our upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

At European level, Ireland is also actively engaged in negotiations on a package of measures to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, including a proposed regulation and revised Directive. These will strengthen the responsibilities placed on online platforms and further reinforce the legal framework across Member States.

Last year, I secured Government approval to progress the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025.

Among other reforms, this legislation will modernise and strengthen our legal framework, including updated outdated terminology in Irish law to the more accurate term “child sexual abuse material”,

This reflects a simple but important principle: that language must properly reflect the nature of the crime.

Alongside legislative reform, we are continuing to build on Ireland’s broader online safety framework.

In conjunction with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, we coordinate the National Safer Internet Centre Advisory Group, an EU-funded initiative that brings together key national stakeholders to support a coordinated response to online harms.

We are also funding the DCU Observatory on Cyberbullying, Cyberhate and Online Harassment for a three-year period.

This research will examine how emerging technologies are shaping online harm, including the rise of deepfakes and ‘nudification’ tools, and the resulting real-world impacts.

It will draw on international best practice, including frameworks such as the WeProtect Global Alliance and the Tech Coalition, and will help inform future policy development in this area.

In parallel, our engagement with Coimisiún na Meán is central to ensuring that online platforms meet their obligations and are held to account where they fall short.

Ultimately, online services must be safe by design, and where they are not, there must be real consequences where they fail to act.

More broadly, these initiatives reflect a clear direction of travel, towards a more evidence-based, coordinated, and responsive approach to online safety and online crime.

The harms we are talking about here are also closely linked to broader patterns of abuse and exploitation.

Increasingly, we see an overlap between online harm and real-world victimisation, including coercion, harassment, and sexual and gender-based violence.

I am committed to strengthening legislation, investing in support services, and working to prevent harm before it occurs.

Before I conclude, I want to thank again the staff and analysts at the Irish Internet Hotline for your professionalism, resilience and continued dedication to this invaluable work.

The report shows us both the scale of the challenge and the importance of the response.

It also shows us that progress is possible, when people act, when systems work, and when organisations work with commitment and integrity.

Thank you.