Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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514. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht what prompted she or her officials to include a definition of “gender” in the general scheme of a broadcasting (amendment) Bill published recently which mirrors the definition used in the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44094/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill is intended to give effect to, inter alia, a number of the recommendations and considerations of the Future of Media Commission, whose report was published in July 2022. Recommendation 8-3 of the Future of Media Commission includes the following recommendation:

'There should be an enhanced role for Audience Councils which reflects the definition of “the public” adopted by the Commission and which supports diversity, inclusivity and a more democratic engagement with wider public sphere issues.'

In light of the wider definition of 'the public' proposed by the Future of Media Commission, Head 5 of the General Scheme provides for a definition of 'under-served audiences', which includes those who are under-served in respect of public service content by virtue of geography, age, socio-economic status, language, national or ethnic origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Head 18 provides for an enhanced role for the Audience Councils of the PSM providers to better reflect the definition of the public used by the Future of Media Commission. They also require that the selection of members of the Audience Council is reflective of under-served audiences.

In identifying the categories by which communities may be under-served it was considered appropriate to include gender as a category, given women have historically been under-served and under-represented in Irish media. To future-proof the General Scheme, it was considered appropriate to use the definition of 'gender' provided for in the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act, 2024.