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The Irish safer internet centre

The Irish Safer Internet Centre vision is a positive and inclusive digital world where children are safe and protected.

The Irish Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of four leading organisation with a mission to make the Internet a better place for children and young people, under the coordination of the Department of Justice, Cybercrime.

The consortium has been appointed over a decade ago by the European Commission as the Safer Internet Centre in Ireland, and is one of 31 Safer Internet Centres across all EU Member States, the UK, Iceland and Norway, and it is integral part of the INSAFE-INHOPE network.

The Irish Safer Internet Centre partners:

The Irish Safer Internet Centre partners:

  • Webwise.ie is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre, part of the Professional Development Service for Teachers, a Department of Education & Skills-funded support service. Webwise promotes safer, better Internet use through awareness raising and education initiatives targeting teachers, children, young people and parents. Webwise develop and disseminate resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools. Webwise also provide information, advice, and tools to parents to support their engagement in their children’s online lives. With the help of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel, Webwise develop youth oriented awareness raising resources and training programmes that promote digital citizenship and address topics such as online wellbeing, cyber-bullying and more.
  • Hotline.ie (est. 1999) is Ireland’s primary national channel for members of the public to anonymously and confidentially report suspected illegal content online, especially child sexual abuse material and activities relating to the sexual exploitation of children such as child grooming. Since inception Hotline.ie has been working in close collaboration with An Garda Síochána and online service providers to have child sexual abuse material swiftly removed from the Internet and ensure the children in the imagery may be identified and safeguarded.
  • ISPCC Childline the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) operates the helpline (Childline), which provides a 24/7 active listening service across phone, text and online for any child or young person concerned about something they have encountered online, or other issues.
  • NPC Primary the National Parents Council Primary operates the parent/adult helpline, a dedicated helpline to deal with issues relating to internet safety, including cyberbullying. The NPC also provides parents with training courses, both online and face to face.

What are Safer Internet Centres?

Safer Internet Centres are national hubs established in Member States across Europe and in the UK, Iceland and Norway, which provide a suite of complementary essential services in synergy with the four pillars of the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (), namely (1) promoting positive online experience for children; (2) awareness and empowerment (including digital/media literacy); (3) creating a safe environment for children; and (4) combatting online child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. To learn more, read the BIK Strategy Implementation Report.

Safer Internet Centres are co-financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility Safer Internet Programme and usually offer three kinds of services: a national awareness centre, a helpline and a hotline. Safer Internet Centres co-operate and exchange resources and best practices through the INSAFE-INHOPE network. For additional information visit betterinternetforkids.eu which among other things offers a repository of educational resources in all EU languages.