Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government His plans, if any, to introduce guidelines, on a statutory basis or otherwise, to protect local media outlets from undue pressure from local authorities in terms of influencing editorial decisions in return for advertising funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47591/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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There are no specific statutory powers under the Local Government Act 2001 for the issuing of guidelines to local authorities on relations with the media.

It is my understanding that no such guidelines on advertising and publicity are currently in place for Government Departments or other public bodies.

Careful consideration would therefore be needed as to how any such guidelines, if introduced, for local authorities would operate alongside the broader ethical framework for the public sector, as well as the regulation of advertising in general.

Ethical conduct in public office continues to be governed by the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 (‘the Ethics Acts’), and, at local level, by Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended.

Part 15 of the 2001 Act provides an ethical framework for local government, which imposes a statutory duty on all in the service to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest.

This is further supplemented by codes of conduct issued by my Department, following consultation with the Standards in Public Office Commission, to local authorities. There is one code of conduct for councillors and one for employees. The codes of conduct further set out principles and standards of behaviour that all in the local government service must adhere to in the performance of their duties.

The Programme for Government: Our Shared Future includes a commitment to reform and consolidate ethics legislation. As part of this process the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has been carrying out a review of ethics legislation in consultation with other Government Departments and key stakeholders.

My Department has been informed that a report of the findings of this review is now being finalised for consideration by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform who will then bring this report to Government for its approval and publication. It is intended that Government approval will also be sought to prepare a General Scheme of a Bill, to be drafted during 2023.

My Department is awaiting the outcome of this review process and will engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding any specific issues that are identified in relation to the local government sector.