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

The rise of new technologies and delivery channels for people to consume news has had a profound effect on news media, both in Ireland and across the world. In particular, traditional news media, such as television and print news, have significantly declined as a main source of news for Irish people since 2015, with print suffering a decline from 49% to 23%.

This is in contrast to online media, including social media, which has remained a main source of news for approximately 80% of Irish people since 2015. This has given rise to funding difficulties across the news media industry, given the lower willingness of the public to pay for online news.

I have the report of the technical working group, and the funding model was something I was advancing. I agree with the Taoiseach - indeed, it has been my modus operandi- that we have to grasp this nettle. I am determined to do that, but we had to pause the decision even though I was at an advanced stage of negotiations with the relevant Ministers on the recommendations on a future funding model. I had to pause it because, to make the new model land, we needed an environment of trust. We will continue the discussions, though. I do not believe we will pause those, nor should we. There are recommendations from the technical working group that was established to examine the funding model. Such an examination was essential because what is now in place is not the way forward. It needs reform and we need an enhancement of the television licence fee. It is essential we reflect changes.

See this speech in context