Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs

European Elections 2024, Voting Rights and Combating Disinformation: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Jeremy Godfrey:

Absolutely. The Future of Media Commission report identified that local journalism has suffered compared to how it was several years ago. I believe that six schemes were recommended in the report, two of which we are about to consult on. One scheme is for local journalism reporting on the activities of county councils and other local authorities. Another is about local court reporting. The content produced under those schemes will be available to broadcasters, print and online also. It will be open content. Local radio stations will be entitled to apply. We are planning to have a separate scheme for each local authority. The local radio stations are one sector that can apply for that funding.