Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There have been several contributions this morning regarding yesterday's debate in respect of Local Ireland and the presence of representatives of various local newspapers in Leinster House yesterday. It is important we have that debate. Local Ireland's focus yesterday and when it was here last year was on revenue. Last year, it looked for a reduction of VAT to 0%, which the Government acceded to and put in the budget. Yesterday it spoke about a fair share of Government advertising. It should have acknowledged that some of the biggest contributors in advertising to every local newspaper every week are the county councils. They do a significant amount of advertising in all local papers. As media spokesperson for Fianna Fáil in the Seanad and a member of the National Union of Journalists, I think the debate needs to be about circulation and readership, including by young people such as those in the Gallery. Local Ireland admitted that circulation of local newspapers has dropped by 50% since 2010 and is dropping 6.5% year on year. The statistics for national newspapers are not a whole lot better. We need to see initiatives such as the one suggested by the editor of the Irish Farmers' Journalyesterday, whereby free subscriptions are given to a targeted number of young people to try to get them used to reading newspapers. If they are being accessed online, so be it. There is a disconnect between the written word and a whole generation of people. That is what is fuelling the decline in circulation year on year. A media fund was established to allow for the pooling of court reporters and council reporters to aid young journalists and give them opportunities. That pool has not yet been established and it must be pressed with the Minister and the Department. If, as has been indicated, other Members are interested in this sphere we should have a debate with the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in this House on the future of local and national media. Yesterday, it was clear that the focus of how we will save this ailing industry is not clear.