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

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 7, line 27, to delete “sound”.

Amendments Nos. 1, 92, 94, 95, 97, 100, 101 and 103 collectively provide for the inclusion of providers of community television as bodies that may apply for funding under the scheme for professional journalistic practices. This matter was raised on Dáil Committee Stage and, having examined the issue, I will bring these providers into the scope of the scheme. As the Government amendments address the substance of the related amendments tabled by Deputies today, amendments Nos. 93, 96, 98 and 99, I will not be accepting those related amendments.

Amendment No. 102 seeks to require that, in developing a scheme, coimisiún na meán shall have regard to developing impartial journalism through the medium of Irish. In the context of this particular scheme, which is directed towards training in respect of good journalistic practices, I do not believe it necessary to make reference to the language in which that journalism is provided to the public. However, while I do not accept the amendment, I do agree with the objective of developing journalism through the medium of Irish.

The purpose of amendments Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, is to clarify that the definition of "programme schedule" in the Bill encompasses both audiovisual programmes and sound programmes and that references to "programmes" in the definition of “sound broadcasting service” are references to sound programmes. Amendment No. 7 corrects a typo in the definition of "video-sharing platform service". These amendments are being proposed as a result of engagement with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

The purpose of amendments Nos. 8, 9, 16, 18 to 27, inclusive, 30, 31 and 33 is to align the wording in the Bill regarding the roles of the Minister with responsibility for coimisiún na meán and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in respect of certain financial and staffing matters with the wording in the public spending code. As such, they are technical amendments and do not have any substantive effect on the Bill.

Amendments Nos. 51, 74, 79, 128 and 129 fix a number of typos and clarify punctuation.

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