Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I acknowledge that the announcement by Dublin Pride last week that it is terminating its media partnership with RTÉ reflects the hurt and anger within the LGBTI+ community and beyond it. I am proud of how far Ireland has come in recent years in terms of the greater respect offered to minorities and groups in society that were previously marginalised, and in particular to members of the LGBTI+ community. I am committed to supporting LGBTI+ people across all the areas under the remit of my Department. In that regard, my Department will be providing €55,000 to support the Dublin Pride festival this year.

As the Deputy will be aware, the independence of our public service broadcasters is set out in legislation in section 98 of the Broadcasting Act 2009. For that reason, it would not be appropriate for me to meet with RTÉ in respect of an individual programme. However, I am strongly of the view that media policy and regulation does and must continue to play an important role in ensuring respect and protection for trans people and other vulnerable groups in society. As Minister, my role is to ensure that there is a robust statutory framework in place, with appropriate standards and accountability mechanisms overseen by an independent regulator.

Under the Broadcasting Act, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, as independent regulator for broadcasting content in the State, is required to make broadcasting codes governing the standards and practice to be observed by broadcasters. The two codes of particular relevance are the code of fairness, objectivity and impartiality in news and current affairs and the code of programme standards, which is designed to ensure that the representation of persons and groups in society is appropriate, does not prejudice respect for human dignity and does not stigmatise, condone discrimination or incite hatred, including on the basis of protected characteristics.

All broadcasters in Ireland must ensure that their output is compliant with the law and with any codes and rules made by the BAI. The Broadcasting Act provides for a robust complaints procedure and sets out the power of the compliance committee of the BAI to initiate an investigation of a broadcaster for a serious or repeated failure by a broadcaster to comply with a broadcasting code and ultimately for the imposition of financial sanctions.

The framework for broadcasting regulation is designed to protect the independence of the media and I am therefore necessarily restricted in terms of direct intervention on this matter. I do, however, wish to conclude by saying we must ensure that all our people feel safe, valued and equal in our country. This is particularly the case where people are members of a very small, and consequently very vulnerable, minority, as is the case for trans people. Any conversations involving such a small minority must be carried out with great care and with absolute respect.

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