Vol. 472 No. 3
13 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the need to safeguard the future of our indigenous newspaper industry; if he has concluded his consideration of the Report of the Commission on the Newspaper Industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23368/96]
In my statement at the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Newspaper Industry on 30 July 1996, I said that the indigenous industry was a vital one. I agreed with the commission's report which states: "The social, political and cultural role of the indigenous newspaper industry which distinguishes it from other industries consists primarily in its duty and in its ability to reflect a sense of national identity in an informative, integrative but also critical fashion". On that occasion I also indicated my support in principle for the commission's recommendations that came within my Department's remit.
On 26 November 1996 I reported to Government in regard to my role in co-ordinating the work of the various Departments on the commission's recommendations. The Government has approved my intention to revert to them concerning legislation in relation to my own area of responsibility. Specifically this legislation concerns below cost selling, merger control, regulation of ownership and concentration of media ownership. On foot of the Government's recent decision, I am assessing legislative proposals on these issues and I expect to report further to Government in early 1997. There are very complex legal and economic issues involved in this work. I am taking appropriate advice on these matters before I bring forward specific proposals to Government.
The recommendations relating to FÁS and the Labour Relations Commission do not require legislation. I am ensuring that those bodies will provide all the necessary assistance to the industry. Other Ministers will be pursuing matters appropriate to their own Departments.
Legislation or other Government action alone will not secure the future of a vibrant indigenous newspaper industry. Charting a thriving industry for the future is primarily in the hands of the industry itself. They have the significant task of making newspapers more relevant to the needs of the modern marketplace for news and views, and also to the changing lifestyles and habits of our society. Equally, the commission identified the task of improving competitiveness as a key one. The competitiveness agenda is not just confined to labour costs and numbers, important as these are, but must embrace issues such as work practices, printing, technology and distribution. The Irish newspaper industry must be prepared to confront these problems itself.
Could the Minister clarify whether he is still examining the principle of bringing in legislation on below-cost selling or if has he agreed in principle to do it and is looking for a way to do it?
The two matters are intertwined. It must first be established that legislation can be introduced which will be meaningful and workable. As I said in my reply, there are complex economic and legal issues concerning a ban on below-cost selling. In principle I accept the recommendations of the commission. Whether we can bring forward legislation that will be robust and effective depends on a careful assessment of both legal and economic issues, which I am undertaking.
Defamation was one of the areas dealt with in the commission's report. In the light of the difficulties the media are experiencing in publishing the Price Waterhouse report into the activities in Dunnes Stores, does the Minister agree there is a need to change our defamation legislation to ensure the public's right to know in matters of this kind?
The question of defamation legislation does not fall within my brief. As part of the work in co-ordinating the response, I have had discussions with the Minister for Equality and Law Reform who will review the whole issue of defamation law and put it to Government in due course.
Time for priority questions is now exhausted but we may take the remaining two questions in the category of other questions.
