Published: Tue, 18 February 2014
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Seán Kelly MEP (South) has been shortlisted for the ‘MEP of the Year’ Digital Agenda award 2014. Organised by the Parliament Magazine, winners are chosen exclusively by fellow MEPs who vote on a shortlist of nominees.
Mr Kelly, a previous recipient of the ‘MEP of the Year’ award for Research and Innovation, has played a lead role in shaping Europe’s future digital policies in his role.
The Fine Gael MEP has been shortlisted due to his work on Data Protection legislation, as a co-author of the laws regarding online privacy, with particular emphasis on SMEs and innovative start-ups in the technology sector.
Mr Kelly has also led a Cyber-bullying awareness raising campaign with a series of forums around Ireland and co-hosted an event on the topic in the European Parliament. The MEP believes a wants legal framework and information campaign is needed to tackle the issue which causes much distress for some of the youngest internet users.
Mr Kelly is a keen promoter of the Coder Dojo movement, voluntary clubs which teach children and young adults how to write computer code which originated in Cork, providing the next generation with a host of valuable technology skills. He also hosted first ever EU Dojo in the Parliament in 2013 – making programming fun for kids, to highlight its EU-wide potential.
Finally, the MEP has worked to highlight the importance of Net Neutrality and has tabled amendments to protect net neutrality in the Telecoms Package.
Award winners will be selected by their MEP peers on March 18th 2014.
