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

I move amendment No. 54:

In page 54, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following:

“(4) Media service codes may provide for standards and practices to promote the following:

(a) balanced gender representation of participants in news and current affairs programmes broadcast by broadcasters or made available by providers of audiovisual on-demand media services;

(b) the broadcast in programmes broadcast on sound broadcasting services of music composed or performed by women.”.

This group of amendments are intended to allow Coimisiún na Meán make media service codes which promote gender balance on news and current affairs programmes on radio, television and video-on-demand services and to promote the broadcasting of musical works composed or performed by women on radio services.

A key goal of mine as Minister is to further gender equality within every sector under my remit, and to collaborate closely with my Government colleagues to drive change across other key Departments. Young girls cannot aim to be what they cannot see or hear. There needs to be a significant improvement in the ratio of women to men on radio and television so that both genders feel represented in public discourse as well as better representation of women in music on our airwaves. Following careful consideration of the compatibility of gender balance measures with the right to freedom of expression and with competition law, it is considered that the most appropriate approach to further this goal is to empower Coimisiún na Meán to make codes setting out standards and practices in the promotion of greater representation for women in music and news broadcasting.

Such codes would be binding on providers of radio, television and video-on-demand services and, where breaches occur, could be subject to enforcement action by Coimisiún na Meán. This approach will allow Coimisiún na Meán the flexibility to identify appropriate measures to promote gender equality that are consistent with our legal framework.

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