Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is called agility on the floor.

As for SIPO, I think Deputy Murphy has raised this issue over some time and I think I have been consistent in saying to her that no public official or CEO of a local authority should ever place conditions on or endeavour to influence the output of a local radio station. That is a very strong view I hold. That is fundamental to democracy. In other words, I am not saying that this happened in any given situation, but one cannot say that the consequence of one's having spent money on advertising and so on is that the station should somehow align with the views of the council or not be critical of the council. There has to be editorial independence at all times. SIPO made a judgment in that case and it fell to the county council to deal with it. We have a devolved system. We delegate to the local authorities. The Government does not have a role in a situation like that. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has engaged in a very comprehensive review of SIPO. He went out to public consultation. He has received numerous submissions. He brought the outcome of that to the Cabinet today. I wonder if there is some mental telepathy going on in the House in terms of Members' understanding of what was passed at the Government's meeting today. That was passed as well at the meeting today and approved by the Government to move now into not updating but fundamentally advancing the legislation underpinning SIPO into the future. That will eventually come to the House as well, and Deputy Murphy's input would be very much appreciated in that regard.

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