Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Go raibh míle maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, Deputy Peter Burke. A working group tasked with fighting misinformation and disinformation has been set up by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, in a bid to reduce the spread of false and harmful material. This will produce a national counter-disinformation strategy by the end of the year.

AnIrish Independentarticle noted that, "While the group is not the government's direct response to recent anti-immigration protests and the spread of anti-immigration sentiments online, it is part of a State strategy to combat false information as a whole", which prompts a question in my mind. It may not be a direct response, but could it be an indirect response? Speaking as somebody who has, for a long time, been a champion of a generous but structured immigration policy, you would have to be a fool not to notice the demonisation in mainstream media of some of those who suggest, for example, that we do not currently have enough accommodation to house our present population, or those who might suggest that it was a bad idea for our immigration system to allow thousands of people into the country with no identification papers. On a range of issues, it is fair to say that in recent years we have often seen steady misinformation produced by mainstream media, so as to advance one point of view in contentious debates against other equally legitimate views.

Ultimately, this is a problem about allowing free citizens to think and express free thoughts. People often disagree about the interpretation of facts, and on what facts should be presented to the public. Thinking and expressing thoughts is a dangerous business in a democracy, but it is also its fundamental strength. I am concerned about any kind of ministry of truth solution emerging from, or through, this working group. I have concerns that media vested interests have the valuable work of citizen journalists in their sights. I shudder when I see prominence being given, for example, to so-called fact-checkers who have themselves been shown to be notoriously partisan towards particular narratives, rather than the pure, unvarnished truth on various issues.

One reason people have turned away from mainstream media is this recent, ongoing attempt to control what people hear, and what people think about. I do not think that any such means of control would be enhanced by outcomes from this working group, unless - and I am here to be constructive and to issue this challenge to the working group and the Minister setting it up - it operates openly and completely transparently and in public; that every submission it considers be done in public; that all contributions from big tech, mainstream media, political parties and government are publicly accessible as soon as these are made; and that all discussions take place in public. I also ask that the small man or woman be well represented - and I do not mean the well-heeled lawyers of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties - so that ongoing decisions of the working group are made in public, that conflicts of interest be regularly acknowledged, and that all correspondence on these matters be made public. In this way - and I see my colleague smiling - there is less possibility of the working group being manipulated by pressure groups and those elite interest groups who currently have their finger in every government pie.

Let this working group not simply hide behind claims of public consultation; let us have complete transparency in the way that it operates. I am looking for the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, who, I admit, is not the Minister present. Yet again we have a matter being taken by a hapless other Minister, Deputy Burke, who is perfectly competent in his own domain, but not really fit to have a free thought of his own on the issue that is being raised. We are talking about limitations on freedom of expression, one of democracy's foundation stones. In conclusion, I warn that wherever ideas and views are suppressed, distrust and alienation will follow-----

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank Senator Mullen.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----and if the window of discussion is too narrow, then politics fails, and conspiracies will abound.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank Senator Mullen. Before I call the Minister of State, I would like to welcome the people from Youthreach in Balbriggan. I hope they enjoy their day in the Oireachtas. I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, on his new and more challenging appointment.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Acting Chairperson. I wish the people on tour the very best. It is great to see the Public Gallery packed again, as they observe us do our business.

I am taking the Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Martin, this morning. As we are all in no doubt, the issue of disinformation is a complex and challenging problem to tackle.It affects many different parts of society. For example, disinformation has been shown to have played a role in the manipulation of public opinion in elections, on the pandemic, and more recently on the war in Ukraine. No one approach will solve the issue but instead, to succeed, the fight against disinformation will need to co-ordinate many different approaches.

The Future of Media Commission acknowledged this in its report, published in July 2022, and identified that there is a need for more co-ordinated and strategic action to combat the damaging impact of disinformation.

At a national level, Ireland has utilised a range of approaches designed to combat disinformation. Education plays an important role in giving people the skills to recognise false material and help to prevent its dissemination. Existing media literacy initiatives have supported digital literacy among Irish citizens and are also a key tool in Ireland's response to disinformation.

Legislative solutions that seek to regulate and restrict disinformation, such as the new EU Digital Services Act, are emerging. However, as in any emerging policy area, legal approaches, as with all laws that seek to oversee the online space, must cohere to existing legislation and, insofar as is possible, be robust and flexible in the face of emerging technologies and development.

Senators will, no doubt, be aware that the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act was enacted last December. Members of this House played a vital role in ensuring the Act lays a foundation for the beginning of a regulatory system for the online world in Ireland. The new regulator established by that Act, Coimisiún na Meán, will be formally established on 15 March. Members will also be aware that the Government agreed to designate an coimisiún as digital services co-ordinator under the Digital Services Act.

Among other things, this will see a move away from self-regulation by platforms to a new system of regulation aimed at reducing harmful online content. But legislation on its own is not enough. That is why, in line with the recommendations set out in the report of the Future of Media Commission, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, approved the formation of a working group to develop a new national counter-disinformation strategy. The working group met for the first time on 24 February 2023. The strategy that the working group will develop aims to co-ordinate national efforts to combat disinformation and provide a joined-up approach to ensure effective restraints are applied to the creation and dissemination of this harmful material.

The Future of Media Commission recommended that the strategy be developed in consultation with all relevant Departments and agencies, academia, industry stakeholders, news organisations, civil society groups and Irish fact-checkers and disinformation researchers. That is why the working group comprises representatives from Departments as well as bodies such as the Press Ombudsman, the Library Association of Ireland, the National Youth Council of Ireland and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, as well as academics and other experts. At its meeting, the group agreed that Martina Chapman, who is an expert in media literacy and the national co-ordinator for Media Literacy Ireland, would be the independent chair and officials in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media are to act as the secretariat to the group.

The strategy will endeavour to identify measures to support innovation in fact-checking, as well as disinformation research. It will also seek ways to help support the important role of free, independent, high-quality journalism and to protect the supply of public interest information. We are all conscious that in combating disinformation, we must be careful to protect freedom of expression as well.

The strategy also seeks to develop long-term monitoring of implementation of legislative and regulatory measures. This monitoring intends to support effective implementation of domestic and international measures, including the forthcoming Digital Services Act.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am all in favour of the apple pie as well, but it is the little bit of poison in it that would worry me. We must remember that the present day distrust that cuts across society is not just because of the cranks and opportunists, although they are there; it is also about the elites who are blinded by elitist globalist ideals who consistently cancel discussion of real problems facing real people. When Facebook or Meta can get an appointment with the Taoiseach in 24 hours with a limited public record of the ask, we realise the need for full transparency. This is not gimmickry. In recent months our Parliament has seen a vast range of unsettling legislation, challenging what until now were seen to be clear democratic principles. We must wake up. There has been enough of the decision-making by elites behind closed doors. That must not be smuggled in through this otherwise laudable initiative.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I wish to point out that there is an independent secretariat to record all items discussed at Government meetings. I do not want the suggestion to be thrown out that there is anything inappropriate about the Government meeting tech firms. As we all know, and as Senators in this House are acutely aware, politicians in Ireland are very accessible to all strands of society, which is very important to see.

As I said in my opening remarks, this information relates to a highly complex issue. We refer to the right to free speech as well in terms of the content, which is very important to the Government. There are many dimensions to the problem, but as I set out, following the Future of Media Commission report, a working group has been established. We will update the House further through the Minister in that regard.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State.