Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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215. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the audio-visual media services directive will be fully transposed into Irish law; the details of the deadlines that will be applied to the requirement for audio-visual services to be made accessible to people with a visual or hearing disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52641/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) will be transposed through the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill 2022. Among other things, the Bill will establish a new multi-person Media Commission (to be known as Coimisiún na Meán), dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, establish a regulatory framework for online safety, and update the regulatory frameworks for broadcasting and audiovisual on-demand media services.

The OSMR Bill is currently progressing through the legislative process in the Dáil, having been passed by Seanad Éireann on 11 July 2022. I intend to progress the Bill to enactment before the end of the year. Following this, in Q1 2024 Coimisiún na Meán will be formally established and commence its regulatory functions. This will involve the development of regulatory codes and rules which will complete the transposition of the revised AVMSD. It is expected that this work will be a priority of An Coimisiún once formally established.

Regarding the question on accessibility, Article 7 of the revised AVMSD requires Member States to take the following measures:

- Member States shall ensure, without undue delay, that services provided by media service providers under their jurisdiction are made continuously and progressively more accessible to persons with disabilities through proportionate measures;

- Member States shall ensure that media service providers report on a regular basis to the national regulatory authorities or bodies on the implementation of the measures referred to in paragraph 1. By 19 December 2022 and every three years thereafter, Member States shall report to the Commission on the implementation of paragraph 1;

- Member States shall encourage media service providers to develop accessibility action plans in respect of continuously and progressively making their services more accessible to persons with disabilities. Any such action plan shall be communicated to national regulatory authorities or bodies;

- Each Member State shall designate a single, easily accessible, including by persons with disabilities, and publicly available online point of contact for providing information and receiving complaints regarding any accessibility issues referred to in this Article; and,

- Member States shall ensure that emergency information, including public communications and announcements in natural disaster situations, which is made available to the public through audiovisual media services, is provided in a manner which is accessible to persons with disabilities.

Article 7 will be transposed into Irish law by section 9 of the OSMR Bill, which will insert section 46O into the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 46O will enable An Coimisiún to make media service rules in relation to a number of matters including the accessibility of audiovisual media services in line with the requirements of the revised AVMSD.

Until such time as these rules come into place, section 46O(13) will provide that the current Access Rules made by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland will continue to apply to broadcasters established in the State.