Local priest Fr John Joe Duffy has said the State has failed to act on cyberbullying since the death of tragic Erin Galagher.
Fr Duffy was located in the Twin Towns when Erin tragically took her own life in Ballybofey in 2012.
The 13-year-old had been cyberbullied on the social media site Ask.Fm.
Fr Duffy, who is now the curate in Creeslough, said not enough is being done to ban such social media sites who do not properly monitor such online abuse.
He said “Not enough is being done. There is too much (unfettered access).
“Unfortunately, that is the way the internet is designed and we need to look at how we can put in safeguards. I think children are getting ownership of phones are far too young an age.
“We don’t know the physical or mental impacts yet,” he said.
Fr John Joe Duffy
He said he genuinely hoped that Erin’s death might have changed things but this does not appear to be the case.
“I would have hoped that the State would have responded and that no mother would ever have to be put through that situation again.
“THat no child, friend, teacher would be faced with that. That no priest would have to stand on an altar faced with a situation like that.
“I had hoped the State would have grappled with the situation. It has worsened.
“When I did bring up the issue and the whole thing about technology, the State was so far out of sync that it dismissed it as a passing fad.
“The fact of the matter is that there are families today who are still experiencing the same thing. The supports aren’t there,” he slammed.
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