Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On Friday people around the country will go to the polls. I encourage everyone to exercise their franchise on Friday. From 2 p.m. tomorrow, a moratorium will kick in for radio and television broadcasts but social media will continue right up to the close of polls. This is a period of 32 hours when our reliable news sources are effectively gagged, but the wild west - that is, social media - can continue to put out any sort of information without anyone having the opportunity to use our established radio and television channels to rebut any false information that may be there. I recognise the moratorium was brought in at one time for all the right reasons, but perhaps it now needs to be reviewed. Perhaps it is outdated and of its time, a time before social media. We need to have a look at this. On social media, a minute is a long time but 32 hours is an eternity.

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