Press Release: Friday 12 December 2025
Minister for Health publishes the Final Report of the Online Health Taskforce
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, has today published the Final Report of the Online Health Taskforce.
The Online Health Taskforce was established in September 2024 in recognition of the growing body of evidence, from Ireland and internationally, showing the link between certain types of online activity and physical and mental health harms to children and young people.
The Taskforce’s report provides a comprehensive framework to understand and address the complex challenges facing children and young people in digital environments. It includes four proposed foundational principles and 10 recommendations aimed at increasing the protection of children from online threats and ensuring the creation of safer online spaces.
Minister Carroll MacNeill has also published a report from the National Youth Assembly (NYA) on youth online health which provided invaluable direct insights and feedback that were central to the Taskforce’s deliberations.
The Taskforce commissioned the Institute of Public Health (IPH) to complete a national and international research and literature review. The IPH’s report, Digital marketing of health-harming products to children in Ireland – options for further protections, also published today, sets out options for safeguarding children’s online health which informed the development of the Taskforce’s recommendations.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“The Online Health Taskforce’s recommendations provide a clear roadmap for action – one that puts children’s rights at the centre and requires a whole-of-government response. My sincere thanks to all members of the Taskforce and Chair, Jillian van Turnhout, for their rigorous, evidence-informed work and their dedication. I am equally grateful to the members of the National Youth Assembly, whose insights on both the risks and opportunities of the digital world I had the privilege to hear in July.
“In reflecting on the recommendations in this report, I am reminded of something our Taskforce Chair, Jillian van Turnhout said: ‘Young people are the true experts on their digital experiences.’ The digital space offers significant benefits, but safeguarding children and young people must remain a non-negotiable priority. This is ultimately about creating a safer, more supportive digital space for everyone.
“I will shortly establish a group to examine implementation of the recommendations and will engage with colleagues across Government, because as the Taskforce rightly notes, this requires prompt and coordinated action.”
Minister for Mental Health and Government Chief Whip, Mary Butler TD said
“Reducing the harm caused to young people’s wellbeing by technology is a critical issue for the Government. I welcome the recommendations from the Online Health Taskforce which are grounded in evidence and the experiences and voices of young people themselves.
“We know young people are struggling with the addictive nature of algorithms, affecting their ability to get enough sleep and movement. We also know that for some young people, platforms are amplifying feelings of low self-esteem and placing them at significant risk. The recommendations of the Online Health Taskforce will place more of the regulatory burden on platforms themselves, rather than expecting young people to be able to regulate themselves in the face of algorithms designed to keep our attention.”
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD said
“It is important that children and young people have been given a key say in the work of the Online Taskforce via the National Youth Assembly of Ireland. I was really pleased to meet with the delegates at their July event on youth online health hosted in my own department. The young people identified a number of key priority areas – regulation, age restrictions, artificial intelligence, body image, healthy online spaces, and accessible language – which are at the heart of this strategy.
Online health is now a significant part of mental health and I looking forward to working with my government colleagues to protect our children and young people in this regard.”
Chair of the Online Health Taskforce, Jillian vanTurnhout said:
“Throughout this process, it has been the authentic voices of young people that have provided the crucial foundation for our understanding. The recommendations represent a balanced, evidence-informed pathway forward – one that recognises both the significant benefits and serious risks of digital engagement. We owe it to Ireland’s children and young people to act decisively, while respecting their rights and ensuring they are part of the solution.
“The report provides clear foundational principles and operational recommendations to guide Government action. In particular, ‘child rights by design’ has the capacity to transform how we view the online environment – shifting from reactive responses to proactive protection, ensuring that children’s rights, safety and wellbeing are built into digital products and services from the outset, not as an afterthought.”
Interim Chief Medical Officer, Prof Mary Horgan said:
“The Taskforce’s recommendations represent a robust public health response to the harms caused by certain types of online activity. Successful implementation will introduce much stronger protections and significantly enhance the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people.”