Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Having considered Deputy Tóibín's explanation of this amendment on Committee Stage, I reviewed it in more detail but I am still not minded to accept the amendment to the definition of diversity of content, which is taken in its entirety from the advisory group on media mergers' report.

To do so would change the meaning of the definition as "present" is more absolute than "prevalent" and it would make the proper measure of diversity extremely complex. The backdrop to the situation is that a range of things define diversity of content and diversity of ownership. This is about striking a balance in the decision to make sure that where a merger is under consideration, there are criteria against which it can be judged. The view is that the way in which the media mergers report set this out in the first instance when it defined diversity of content was in the context of balancing, which is required in such a decision, whereas what Deputy Tóibín is seeking to do is effectively say that virtually every cultural identity that is present must in some way be reflected in a decision of this nature on a merger. In practical terms that would make it very difficult and on that basis I cannot accept the amendment.

See this speech in context