Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport

General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (Resumed)

2:00 am

Photo of Peter CleerePeter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I will stick with the IBI and then move on to the others. As a politician, I am especially interested in local media coverage. I will speak specifically about independent broadcasters' election coverage and out-of-the-norm events. For example, some of the witnesses will be aware that there was a flood in my home town of Graiguenamanagh in 2016. It was devastating for everybody in the town. The lads from KCLR and the Kilkenny People were out on the ground, interviewing and getting the story out. These were really good, honest and trusted stories. On the election coverage, or one-off storms, flooding or whatever the case may be, will the witnesses talk about how they manage this with their journalists? I will give an example. In the general election, I was elected at 4 o'clock on the Monday morning and Sinead Burke from KCLR was there. Edwina Grace has been there at 9 o'clock on the previous Saturday morning doing interviews. How do the witnesses manage and balance that?