Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

MrBeast. The European Commission provided guidance for VLOPs on this in May 2024. It sets out processes for those providers to follow to enable them to achieve the risk mitigation measures in this space. It sets out actions that can be taken before, during and after the election period. Coimisiún na Meán and the Electoral Commission have been engaging closely on this. However, there is no broadcast moratorium as we understand it in the traditional sense for online broadcasting or advertising.

Deputy Murphy referred extensively to funding. As referred to by the Deputy, Coimisiún na Meán received €2.7 million for setting up operations in 2023 before it opened for business effectively as a new DSC on 17 February 2024. For 2024, it received a total of €6 million and it has sought additional funding this year which my Department is working with the commission to progress. The commission has to prepare a business case for funding. That business case has to be assessed by the Department and there is good and constructive engagement between our Departments and between the Department of Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, on this. Recruitment of skilled staff has been successful with a current full-time equivalent of 42.5 staff. It is on target to meet its full sanctioned complement of 79 by October. I thank John Evans, the digital services commissioner and his team at Coimisiún na Meán but especially the officials of my own Department who worked incredibly hard to get this service up and running in the way it has.

In relation to the timeline for the levy, Coimisiún na Meán initiated a project to develop and implement its system for the calculation of the levies. The main deliverables will include the list of entities to be levied, the proposed levy mode and stakeholder consultations.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh raised an important point around existing levies and we will engage with him directly on that.

As we come to the end of this Stage of the Bill, we can reflect that we have put huge emphasis on both the Digital Services Act and on the Digital Services (Levy) Bill. We provided the resources that I have reflected and we provided additional resources to CCPC for its additional responsibilities. This Bill now allows us to move forward to a fully levy-funded model for these regulators. The provisions of this Bill will ensure they are appropriately resourced to undertake their functions and obligations as required under EU digital regulations. It reduces the burden on the Exchequer, ensuring that regulators are self-financing in their functions.

I thank the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for their commitment, as well as the select committee on enterprise. I thank all the Deputies for their engagement and look forward to Committee Stage. I thank them for their co-operation on the passage of this legislation.

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