Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State correctly stated that there should be consultation in scenarios such as this. That is the exact point. There was no consultation, none. On Friday night, Ian McGuinness, the Irish organiser of the National Union of Journalists, stated, "At a time when we need solid, public service journalism more than ever, we have seen Iconic Newspapers announce their intention to impose another round of savage cuts." These cuts were taken without prior consultation.

I very much welcome the commitment the Government has shown to the media in establishing the Future of Media Commission. This will be extremely worthwhile and it is a very good expert group. The autumn could be too late for many of the businesses in the local newspaper industry in this country. There are 46 paid-for publications employing some 1,000 reporters that are read by 1.5 million people across the country. There has been a staggering decline of €6.3 million, or almost 22%, in revenues arising from the drop in circulation and advertising revenue. I ask the Minister of State again to clarify where we stand on the call from those newspapers to be treated the same as local radio stations. Will the Government make a decision on the €2.5 million sought from the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, before Christmas?