Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 25:

In page 27, line 17, after “State,” to insert “among the five most read newspapers,”.

Déanann leasuithe Uimh. 25 agus Uimh. 26 ach go háirithe, ach Uimh. 71 agus Uimh. 72 chomh maith, cinnte de go mbeadh nuachtán náisiúnta i gceist. This is to ensure that only hard copy national newspapers with a readership among the top five most read are considered effective in delivering notice to the public. We have a problem in that there are so many newspapers and so many are national. There could be a national newspaper which has very limited readership. We need to make sure that when notices are being issued, if we are to use the national newspaper as the guide for readership, we need to make sure it has as wide a reach as possible. For instance, people would presume that The Irish Timesand Irish Independenthave the biggest readership. There are other newspapers but we need to have some type of measure. The ABC circulation may be one of the measures by which we can easily ensure the notices under this legislation reach the greatest possible audience, if that is the appropriate terminology, and the greatest number of the public.

Amendments Nos. 71 and 72 are to ensure the public is given notice of the registry. Currently, only one of the three ways of giving notice is necessary. The current position would allow the Minister to give notice to a landowner under paragraph (a) and not inform the public. Maybe the Minister of State can look at that. In amendment No. 71, we are saying that two of the three ways possible would be necessary, so it is not just the landowner getting the notification.

Amendment No. 72 outlines a requirement for a notice to be put in local media, where they exist, as well as at least one national newspaper. This is not really the case in Dublin because we do not have the same type of local newspapers, but in virtually every household in rural Ireland the local newspaper is bought and read from cover to cover, even by those who do not read or follow news. They have access, whether it is the younger generation or just people who have switched off from the news. They do not regard the local newspaper as a national newspaper. It is more appropriate, especially if it is a local issue and a local site. The local newspaper in rural areas is more important than it is in the city, where it is very different. There are some areas where there is a newspaper that is read by everybody, or at least goes into every household, but that does not happen to the same degree in cities. That is why I asked for this amendment to be drafted and submitted.

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