Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister’s sentiment around amendment No. 100. However, as Senator Higgins pointed out, the Minister said that the language is simply based on the 1997 Act, and the media landscape and environment has changed enormously. I appreciate some of the Minister’s concerns that perhaps an extremist group could then be allowed, if our amendment was accepted, for instance to take out an advertisement on local radio. However, an extremist group under free speech may be allowed to take advertisements out on Elon Musk’s Twitter and express its point of view. I appreciate her point, but I would agree with Senator Higgins in that there has to be discussion around the Electoral Commission legislation. Whatever rules we have with regard to political advertising must be platform neutral so that the same rules will apply to somebody who is looking to advertise in an online environment as on local radio, television and print media. It has to be a level playing field. I accept the Minister’s point with regard to amendment No. 100. However, it is on the basis that if it is to be covered as part of the Electoral Commission legislation, we ensure that it is a level playing field across platforms.