Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
380. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her engagement with and the supports in place for local newspaper and radio outlets during the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21796/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA strong and independent media sector is central to our parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech and to the provision of quality and impartial information, particularly in the context of Covid-19. I recognise the essential role that local media plays in bringing communities together and sharing reliable and relevant local news.
In relation to the supports available for the commercial and independent radio sector, the BAI waived the Broadcasting Levy in the first half of 2020 and requested the BAI to launch a COVID-19 funding round which provided €2.5m for commercial radio stations. The BAI also ran a Community Radio Fund which delivered an additional €750k to the sector to help cover the cost of running stations, training, mentoring and the development of programming. A further €2.5m special funding round for the commercial radio sector will be announced shortly by the BAI.
In terms of specific supports for the local newspaper sector, the Deputy will appreciate it is of particular importance in relation to media organisations to avoid any perception of Government interference or influence and the funding of newspapers is therefore a complex issue. I am however cognisant of the importance of this sector, and the financial issues which it currently faces.
The Government has put in place a range of supports for all businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which are also available to the broadcasting, print and online sectors. The production and publication of newspapers, journals and periodicals and the distribution of those publications has been listed as an essential service. Moreover, significant levels of government advertising have been directed towards the local print sector during the COVID-19 crisis to raise awareness and to help explain government policy and health guidelines, an amount estimated to be €4.4m between March 2020 to date.
The print sector has been undergoing fundamental changes in recent years due to new patterns in the consumption of media and a shift to online advertising. In recognition of these longer term challenges, the Programme for Government provided for the establishment of the Future of Media Commission to consider the future of print, broadcast, and online media in a platform agnostic fashion. The Commission have undertaken an extensive public consultation and received over 800 written submissions and conducted six online Thematic Dialogues between January 28th and April 15th. These are available to view on the Commission’s website.
The print sector have participated in the Commission’s consultations and will be part of their recommendations. The Commission is expected to report to An Taoiseach and myself at the end of July and I look forward to reviewing their recommendations with a view to supporting the sustainability of the sector in the longer term.
Since I assumed formal responsibility for the media sector in September 2020, I have also engaged in meetings with key stakeholders including Newsbrands, Local Ireland and the National Union of Journalists. My officials continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders and work is continuing to ensure that the sector receives an appropriate level of Government advertising, along with leveraging existing supports in terms of training and skills development.
