Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for being here today and for the work they do in all of their respective professions because it is immensely important work on behalf of the State and its citizens. Of all the very detailed opening statements for which I thank the witnesses, the line that was probably the most frightening was Ms Chapman's when she said that people were entitled to believe things that are incorrect in a free society. That is worrying. As politicians, maybe we play to that as well. However, it is very true.

Dr. Culloty addressed the whole issue raised by Senator Malcolm Byrne in respect of AI and said that the most important thing was putting a stamp on it to state whether it was true or not and the supports for journalism needed to do that. However, of course, that is in a media landscape and in newsrooms that are disintegrating rapidly and in a media market that is financially broken, both from the traditional media and indeed other forms of media as well. In the context of trying to achieve what Dr. Culloty has said, which is a huge body of work, what are the levels of support for journalism and how do we administer such a thing to give people the reliability they seek?