Department of Culture, Communications and Sport

(1) Records created on or after 1 March 2022, until 5 June 2023, relating to the interactions between the Department and third parties, with the purpose of blocking access on the internet to the Russia Today website, rt.com. I have read Statutory Instrument No. 94/2022 - European Union (Restrictive Measures Concerning Ukraine) (No.5) Regulations 2022, which was enacted following the decision at EU level on 1 March 2022 to block access to a number of Russian related outlets, including Russia Today, which has a website rt.com. This website is no longer accessible in Ireland, despite its servers being located in other jurisdictions and outside the EU. I have read how, in other countries, such as Holland, that its government instructed a statutory agency to compel internet service providers [ISPs] to block access to several Russian websites in Holland. I am trying to find out, what actions the Department here took to effect a blocking by ISPs of the rt.com website in Ireland. I am particularly interested in correspondence between the Dept and third parties relating to the compulsion of ISPs to block access to the RT.com website.