Dr. Eileen Culloty:

It goes back to the point I was making about how all these separate problems are fundamentally interconnected. We need to be able to see them with that comprehensive view. That is why we think a role specifically aimed at that is needed. For example, we know worldwide media freedom has been eroded and Ireland is not immune to this. It is already a big issue at European level which is why proposals for the European media freedom Act have been announced.

The traditional issue of diversity of ownership has normally been viewed as a competition issue, but pluralism in the market is not just about competition anymore. For example, in a very small English-speaking country like Ireland, which is dominated by a huge English-language market, there is a real concern about the future viability of Irish cultural production in Irish media. We know there are huge problems in journalism with the viability of its financial model. We are already seeing the closure of many local media outlets, especially regional newspapers, creating these news deserts where information is not covered.

Of course, all the issues we discussed today around regulating online content raise freedom of information and freedom of expression concerns. There ought to be a dedicated role that thinks about all these matters in a comprehensive way. Again, it is future-looking and assessing changing trends and future threats.