Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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392. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has concerns in relation to other countries seeking to influence Irish elections and referenda through misinformation and disinformation; if there is a strategy to counter this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28756/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recently published its National Counter Disinformation Strategy. The Strategy explores the challenge of disinformation in Ireland, its harmful effects on society and its complexity as a policy issue. It seeks to identify how the challenge of countering disinformation may be met.

In the context of protecting the integrity of elections and referendums, the Strategy notes the work being progressed in my Department under Part 5 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 and on the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/900 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising as well as the work being undertaken by An Coimisiún Toghcháin on pre-bunking and debunking misinformation and disinformation during election campaigns. The Strategy also notes the role of Coimisiún na Meán under the EU's Digital Services Act and the additional care requirement introduced under its Guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Elections which apply to linear broadcast media based in Ireland.

Complementary to the above, my Department has engaged with the European Commission on a broad range of EU initiatives, including the Commission’s Communications on Securing free and fair European elections (September 2018), on the European Democracy Action Plan (December 2020) and on the Defence of Democracy package (December 2023) which are in place to support Member States in protecting the electoral space and enhancing resilience around elections. My Department will continue to engage with the Commission and the European Cooperation Network on Elections in advance of the forthcoming Democracy Shield due for publication in the third quarter of this year.

As the challenges to democracy are continuously evolving, measures to ensure election integrity are being kept under review within my Department, across Government and at the EU level.