James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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22. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a fund can be created to support local and community radio stations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37038/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Commercial broadcasters, such as local radio, play an important role in providing valuable public service content to the Irish public. The Future of Media Commission in examining the challenges faced by the media sector made a number of recommendations to counter these challenges and to support the provision of public service content.

One recommendation was for a new Media Fund to provide support for the provision of public service content by the wider media and journalism sector at local, regional and national levels, and that new schemes under this Fund should be put in place on a platform neutral basis.

In Budget 2024, I secured €6m for two pilot schemes under this Fund, the Local Democracy Scheme and the Courts Reporting Scheme, for which applications will close at the end of this month. As the schemes are being administered by Coimisiún na Meán on a platform neutral basis, commercial radio are fully eligible to apply for funding.

I am acutely aware of concerns raised by the IBI in relation to the need to support the provision of existing news and current affairs content. In line with another of the FOMC's recommendations, work is currently underway to amend the Broadcasting Act to allow news and current affairs to be eligible for funding under the Sound & Vision scheme. This will provide another important avenue for funding in respect of news and current affairs to the commercial radio sector.

Given the importance of the radio sector, at my request Coimisiún na Meán prepared a Report into the Economic Viability of the Commercial Radio Sector. The report indicates a consistently profitable commercial radio sector but recognises likely future challenges such as digitalisation.

I have secured a further €10m in funding for the Media Fund in 2025 to allow for the continuation of these Schemes and to bring forward additional Schemes such as supports regarding digitalisation. Stakeholder feedback, including the views of local and community radio stations, will be taken into account as part of the design process.

These new provisions are in addition to significant supports already provided to the independent media sector through the Sound and Vision scheme.

I will continue to engage with my officials on the most appropriate mechanism to support the radio sector in delivering vital public service content.