Ms Moya Ní Cheallaigh:

We considered that important values such as objectivity, the public's right to know and the need for balance and fair reporting are being eroded at an alarming rate. It was agreed by all that these values are now more important than ever and, consequently, that they need to be protected in law. Coimisiún na Meán must be given the power to effectively hold media to account when they are not impartial or accurate. We hope the committee will be able to act on that.

We discussed the issue of opinions polls extensively because, in our view, such polls have the power to sway the electorate. We recommended that a ban should be enacted across all media, from print to radio and television, and also be extended to online platforms and social media, for a week before elections.

It was agreed that politicians should meet and talk with their constituents regularly at a non-party, town-hall-style event run by and reported upon by media outlets in a non-partisan manner. Regular events like this would bring dialogue and debate back into communities, from local parish or county level to national level. It would facilitate a more participative democracy and give the public a voice on issues of concern. Many people are currently complaining that they do not get a say on things that are bothering them or they are unhappy about.