Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have one point to make and a quote to read. I forget who made one comment earlier, but it concerned shops not carrying the newspapers. I am a small retailer and I carry newspapers. I have had varying experiences, including having to get a second delivery company to supply one particular paper, at a high cost to me, just to be able to carry that one publication, despite my own distributor pulling up outside my door to drop off other newspapers. That distributor was not allowed to drop that specific newspaper to me and I had to go and source another distributor and pay a significant sum just to carry that newspaper. Recently, a distributor in the midlands, Gaffneys in Mullingar, which carried all the titles, pulled out of the business.

For me to carry all the newspaper titles would mean having to get two distribution companies to deliver. This is why some businesses are pulling out from carrying newspapers. I am only paying one company, so I am not carrying all the newspaper titles. This is because of the high cost. It would not make financial sense for me to pay another delivery company when I already have one coming to my shop. I ask those witnesses concerned with this issue to come together as a group and look at this aspect. I say this because more businesses are finding things tight, especially in rural areas, and they are not going to carry all the newspaper titles because of this necessity to pay two different distribution companies. I ask that this topic be examined. As I said, I am coming from the perspective of being a small retailer and this is the situation I find myself in, as do many others.

I will finish up with a quote from the Future of Media Commission report. I have it and I have read it in full. I and others on the committee, including Senator Malcolm Byrne and Deputy Dillon, have a great interest in the future of media and ensuring we provide for this. The quote reads:

Ireland’s media sector has an enduring value and importance to members of the public, to wider society and democracy. It rates comparatively well in terms of a number of respected international benchmarks, has delivered well on its public service aims and is broadly valued and trusted by the public.

I say well done to all the witnesses' organisations and thank them for all their good work.