Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned ministers at yesterday's Cabinet meeting that it was “not on” that a full copy of a new report was leaked in advance of it being discussed by ministers. There was confusion on Wednesday about whether the Government intended to ban or restrict social media for under-16s and what this would entail. While it says that “age restrictions on the use of social media” would be examined, a Government spokesperson said last night that this related to specified content on social media rather than restricting access to social media. This is not made clear in the report, leading some to suggest on Tuesday evening that a social media ban would be discussed at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. Tánaiste Simon Harris has repeatedly called for a social media ban for under-16s.

Source: Irish Examiner February 19, 2026 09:02 UTC