Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Barry. There have been a number of reports on media plurality. The one hitting the headlines at present is that by Lynn Boylan, MEP. I was asked earlier by Deputy Stanley whether I had read it and I have. It raises issues on the media mergers process, but I must stress the report itself did not form part of the assessment process with regard to merger cases which have been or are under consideration. The assessment criteria for media mergers is laid out clearly in legislation and statutory guidelines. I have considered all the media mergers in exact compliance with the legislation and guidelines set out and I have not deviated one iota from these with regard to any of the media mergers I have considered to date or any media mergers I will consider in future. Retrospection was debated in the House when the 2014 legislation went through and it is about getting a balance. Deputy Boyd Barrett was in the House during that debate. It is about trying to strike a balance, which is what we are trying to do.

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