Westport family take anti-bullying campaign to Dáil

SEEKING ACTION?Pictured after their meeting in DΡil Éireann are Deputy John O’Mahony (Acting Chairman, Joint Committee on Transport and Communications) with Gemma Langan, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring and at front, Brian Langan.

Langan family take fight against unregistered SIM cards to DΡil Eireann


Ciara Galvn

A WESTPORT couple whose 14-year-old son was the victim of a high-profile and sustained campaign of bullying by text message last year, have taken their quest to change the law to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Brian and Gemma Langan visited DΡil Eireann last week, where they made a representation on what they see as the anomaly in Irish telecommunications law, that allows anybody to own a sim card and therefore an unregistered mobile telephone. They are calling for the law to change to ensure that those looking for a sim card for a mobile phone must produce identification and a record be kept of who owns the number attached to the sim card. This is already standard practice in many countries.
It is widely claimed that the current system facilitates criminals in allowing them to carry out their illegal acts without fear of being monitored or traced, and the Langans are calling for this to be changed.
Last year, Westport Gardaí arrested a local man in connection with the harassment of Harry Langan, who had been receiving text messages from several numbers for seven months.
After a detailed garda investigation, the DPP recommended criminal charges against the man, who was later convicted in Westport District Court of harassment. Earlier this year, he received a suspended prison term, a fine and an order to stay away from Harry Langan.
The case attracted national media attention and speaking at the time, Gemma Langan said that she hoped to put her family’s case behind them, but campaign to make the Government legislators take note of the law in this area, and seek to have it changed,
Last week’s meeting, which they described as ‘positive’, was the first step in that process and the Langans are hopeful that a sustained campaign to change the law, based on their own experience, might protect other children and families, and the public at large.