Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
359. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on her Department's engagement with the European Commission in relation to the State Aid pre-notification process regarding the Local Democracy and Courts Reporting Schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10634/24]
View answerThe wider media sector in Ireland, which is a vital element of our democracy and society as a whole, is undergoing fundamental change. This is in part due to the increased digitalisation of news and media content generally and the associated decline in advertising revenue as a consequence.
The Report of the Future of Media Commission examined the challenges faced by the media sector and consequent impact on the provision of public service content. The Report made a number of recommendations to counter these challenges and to support the provision of public service content.
One recommendation made by the Future of Media Commission was the establishment of 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 on a platform neutral basis. The Media Fund is being established on an administrative basis, with the Local Democracy and Courts Reporting Schemes being prioritised for implementation by Coimisiún na Meán, with €6m allocated in Budget 2024 for this purpose.
A process of engagement with the European Commission regarding State Aid has concluded positively and it has been agreed that the Schemes can be implemented without prior State Aid clearance.
In terms of next steps, it is now for Coimisiún na Meán to implement the Schemes. They will carry out stakeholder consultation on the detailed design of the schemes and once the schemes are finalised, will run a call for applications for both schemes. Further details on the timelines for rollout of the schemes will be made available by Coimisiún na Meán in due course.
