Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators Malcolm Byrne, Cassells, Carrigy and Higgins for speaking to this amendment. I want to relay the apologies of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, who has had a bereavement in her family and cannot be here this evening.

Section 19 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, as inserted by section 7 of the Bill, provides that an coimisiún may establish committees to assist and advise it on matters relating to its functions, or on such other matters as it may determine. The effect of the amendment would be to mandate an coimisiún to establish a committee to advise it on issues of interest to children and young people and online safety.

While the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, can see the merit of ensuring that the voice of children and young people is directly heard by an coimisiún in the setting up of a committee, there are some worries about the mandating of an establishment of multiple committees in legislation. This is because, notwithstanding the language used, this tends to fix the subject matter of the committee to a moment in time. What is being suggested now is that we take further reflection on this amendment. While it will not be supported today, we will return to the matter on Report Stage.