Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is a matter for the board and I am not going to interfere in that.

Senator McDowell raised the issue of a counterbalance to social media and he is correct in what he says. There is a big problem with regard to fake news across the globe, as well as here. In fact, before a certain global leader raised this issue during an election campaign last year, I raised it here in this city. How do we address this problem? The best way to address it is to ensure that we have responsible broadcasters and news outlets to whom people can turn when they see a story on social media and on whom they can rely to determine if the story is legitimate, correct and accurate. One of the ways I am trying to support that is through supporting the training of young journalists. That is why we are establishing the bursary for young journalists through the broadcasting sector. I would like to see that extended beyond the broadcasting sector but, unfortunately, that is the limit of my remit at the moment. That will help to ensure that the strong quality of journalism in this country over many years will be continued into the future and that good traditions will be passed on to the next generation of journalists.

I am trying to open up the debate, in the context of new technology, on how we fund public service broadcasting into the future. This debate commenced at the joint committee and I am looking forward to the output from that committee, which will then be considered by myself, my Department and the Government.