Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses today for their testimonies, and the work of the independent and community radio stations around the country, particularly during this difficult period where much emphasis had to be placed on trusted news sources. It is increasingly a challenge as to how we deal with misinformation and disinformation. We saw it during the course of the pandemic and we are still dealing with it. Equally, with regard to the points on climate change, there are people who are climate change sceptics and who are trying to spread misinformation. There is an important role for community and local radio stations to provide factual information and to challenge if a platform is provided to climate sceptics.

Can the witnesses talk a bit more about their roles in that area, in particular where they see radio promoting increased digital and media literacy, especially in the sphere of misinformation and disinformation? I welcome the acknowledgement of the very extensive supports that have been made available by Government. This had to happen for the business community more widely, but we are now going to be moving into a situation whereby we are going to be rebuilding our communities. We will face difficulty for the next while, but communities will have to come back together. What role do the witnesses see for community and local radio stations in stressing the positives in our communities and helping them to rebuild as we recover?