Dáil debates

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages

 

6:27 pm

Photo of Pa DalyPa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 39:

In page 45, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:

"Duties to the whole community of the island of Ireland

9.The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 39:
"Duties to the whole community of the island of Ireland
39A. The Commission shall prepare and publish a report no later than one year following its establishment proposing potential recommendations for how all RTÉ, Teilifís na Gaeilge, and holders of television broadcasting licences or audiovisual media service providers under its remit, could be facilitated, assisted and required to make available these services in full to the whole community of the island of Ireland, including how they could work to achieve a resolution and co-operation across rights holders in the case of competing claims across jurisdictions, and toward removing any obstacle or barrier, such as the geographical restriction of their broadcasting rights to one part of the island or the use of geoblocking to enforce such a restriction, to their equal availability across the whole island, paying particular regard to the State's role in supporting the fulfilment of commitments in the Good Friday Agreement relating to the widespread availability of services provided by Teilifís na Gaeilge and acknowledging the public service duty of RTÉ to the whole community of the island of Ireland.".".

This is a simple amendment asking for a report to be published proposing potential recommendations for how RTÉ, Teilifís na Gaeilge and holders of television broadcasting licences can make these services available to the whole community of the island of Ireland and remove any obstacle or barrier such as the geographical restriction of their broadcasting rights, paying particular regard to the role of the State in supporting commitments in the Good Friday Agreement. It is a simple amendment and I urge the Minister to see how it could be facilitated to end geoblocking in the North. The reasons it is needed were discussed in the committee. I understand that the Minister expressed her sympathy with viewers locked out of content simply because they live in the Six Counties. I hope the Minister will not object to this amendment. We will see whether she will depart from the usual phrasing about taking steps to make content available as far as practicable to the whole community of the island of Ireland. In the case of amendment No. 114, is this ambition restricted to the whole of the State?

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