Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Mythen. All of my colleagues have had the opportunity to ask the questions they wanted answered. I thank the witnesses for their comprehensive answers and replies. Apologies that I had to step outside. I hope that in my own questions I am not repeating something that has already been asked. Forgive me if I am. I am struck by the observations that are very accurate and in-depth and Senator Byrne's contribution about the fact that there are so many rules and regulations around not only political broadcasting but broadcasting in general through audio and visual compared to where we are at online. Of course to my mind there are no rules online. Anyone can say and do what they want, as far as I can see. That is why this media commission is going to be hugely important. Obviously the transition into that is going to be immensely important also.

Ms Craig spoke about the suite of regulatory tools that should be applied on the part of the commission to allow the commission to do its work and to give it teeth. In terms of the suite of regulations, without knowing the details of her own submission, will Ms Craig extrapolate or expand on that for me in terms of what that suite of regulations she has seen or proposed as part of media commission, might be and what shape they might take?

My second piece is around disinformation and misinformation. We are so mindful of that at all times. In particular now that we see what is happening in Ukraine and how Russia has probably influenced news, fake news and misinformation, and perpetuated propaganda on a global level and within its own boundaries within Russia, to its people there. I am conscious of all that as we talk about this but in terms of the BAI strategy and policy objectives around disinformation and misinformation, will Ms Craig talk a little about actionable proposals for bolstering our own understanding and users of media? There are two pieces there for whoever would like to answer.