Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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311. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the post of Online Safety Commissioner is being advertised within the State only; if the role is also being advertised outside of the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4552/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill will, when enacted, formally dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and establish a new regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, which will be responsible for overseeing the regulation of broadcasting and video on-demand services and the new regulatory framework for online safety set out in the Bill.. 

It is essential from both an operational and reputational standpoint that Coimisiún na Meán has sufficient staff with experience and skills at the appropriate level in order to effectively carry out its regulatory functions. Given the importance of Coimisiún na Meán, Government has approved its establishment on an administrative basis prior to the enactment of the Bill. Work is underway between my officials and officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Public Appointments Service to start recruitment of key staff of the Commission, including an Online Safety Commissioner, through open public competitions.

Advertisements for the Online Safety Commissioner role will be published on publicjobs.ie and in national media. It is intended that the role will also be advertised outside the State through appropriate channels.