Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I hear what the Minister of State is saying and what many members have said. In some ways, this blunt instrument is pulling the emergency brake, protecting our system and forcing the hand of the Government and Commission to implement regulations that would be more nuanced. This is once-in-a-generation legislation. One might be sceptical that the necessary protections will be implemented in the short term, when they are needed, for example, in advance of the next electoral cycle. I urge the Minister of State to liaise with the commission. I am happy to withdraw the amendment so that we can get the commission set up and it can deal with this.

Deputy Ó Broin talked about the small guy being able to spend a little bit. I did that too when I was starting off. When one looks at the advertising libraries, the medium-sized parties, as we call them now, spend vast amounts of money, which will only get bigger as activity increases online. Unlike any other sort of media, transparency is different. If I have an advertisement on the front page of The Irish Timesstating that my priority is older people, that says something to older people, but it also says something to other groups who are not in that category. One cannot see that transparency online. Advertising can tell older people they are the priority, tell younger people they are the priority, and tell everybody else that they are the priority. Politics is about allocation of resources and where one's priorities lie. That is the difference between online advertising and other media. The spending is clearly being done by the medium-sized parties, not smaller ones.

My two amendments were ruled out of order. They dealt with mandatory take-down notices, which would allow the commission to act during an electoral event, and with a code of conduct. I ask the Minister of State to look at those amendments and perhaps table changes on Report Stage. I have pressed the Minister of State hard, but I am happy to withdraw the amendments.