Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the establishment of Future of Media Commission, which I have called for on a number of occasions over the years. There have been recent job losses in the sector due to lost advertising revenue as a result of Covid, and many more titles, broadcasters and jobs are under threat. This comes at a time when it has never been more important that the public can rely on trusted sources for their information at local, regional and national level, and indeed via online platforms.

I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that it is essential that the make up of the commission is inclusive. The last thing we want to see is a worthy initiative such as the establishment of this commission falling short because there are gaps in expertise. It is also essential that the terms of reference of the commission are broad enough and cover all the key issues without being too unwieldy.

The sustainability of the media sector is impacted by Covid-19 but it has also been hugely impacted in recent years by the loss of advertising revenue to social media platforms and digital search engines. I would have thought this aspect would have been thoroughly considered, particularly given that some of these platforms do not themselves generate content but rely on the work of others for content.

The terms of reference provide for the commission to look at Irish public service broadcasters as well as other broadcasters in addition to the print media at all levels, and to look at a sustainable future. That is the central tenet of the work. There are, however, other aspects that impinge on the sector's sustainability, including Ireland's defamation laws. While everyone is entitled to his or her good name, the balance of our defamation laws often protects the individual at the expense of society. I would have thought the commission would have been asked to consider this important aspect, not least because it has a chilling effect. Issues that are in the public interest on occasions are not aired because of the risk of ending up in the High Court, which has the potential to put further jobs in the industry at risk. It often takes significant courage on behalf of an editor to air stories. What we saw that recently in the past year with The Sunday Timesand the very successful book written by Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan that is out at the moment articulates that very well. Many sports journalists were frustrated over the years that they could not write those stories. Had they been able to write those stories, one wonders if the FAI would be in the position it is at the moment. It just demonstrates the point.

A defamation case was successfully defended last year, which was in the courts for three weeks. The courts are not always available to citizens but they are certainly available to those with deep pockets and a zest for litigation.

The NUJ has looked for trade union and print industry representation on the commission. Others have looked for similar representation for the digital news media and the university sector. Will the Taoiseach consider expanding the make-up of the commission? Will he extend the terms of reference to include social media platforms and our defamation laws?

See this speech in context