Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
854. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice if her Department uses community radio for advertising and public awareness campaigns; if not, the reason, given the vital role community radio often plays in the dissemination of information to local communities; if her Department will consider using community radio for public awareness campaigns in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14174/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department advertises regularly on regional radio across the country, to access and communicate to audiences in every county, as part of my Department's media strategy. An important aspect of that strategy is raising awareness in the area of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV).
In June 2022, I published the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. The goal of the Strategy is clear: Zero Tolerance of DSGBV and the attitudes which underpin it.
The Strategy includes actions requiring a number of awareness campaigns on various DSGBV-related topics. These include:
• prevention campaigns using the bystander and positive masculinity models
• highlighting pathways to safety and supports
• raising awareness on consent
• raising awareness on intimate image abuse
• raising awareness on the rights of victims of crime
These campaigns are developed in collaboration with a Campaigns Advisory Group, which consists of NGOs from the sector, as well as other state bodies including An Garda Síochána and Tusla, and other experts; and with consideration of new requirements under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 , and using pre-campaign research and post-campaign evaluation.
Over the past 18 months, campaigns on pathways to safety (Always Here), raising awareness on consent (The Consent Conversation), intimate image abuse (phase two – Serious Consequences), and raising awareness on victims rights (Diversity and Translations) were developed and have appeared across local and national media.
On the specific matter raised by the Deputy, I am advised by our media buying company that community radio stations are not commercially licensed, therefore inventory is not available for us to commercially trade. Due to their niche audience and limited scale, community radio stations are often run through funding (local), donations, and on a volunteer basis which means they generally are not set up to take advertising.
A hybrid example is Raidió na Life, which was formerly a non-commercial community radio station. Since the changes introduced on Irish language advertising, Raidió has sought a commercial licence, and is now utilised as part of our media plans.
I am further advised that there is also no way to measure media/advertising output on community stations.
Finally, the Deputy may wish to note that responsibility for the development and launch of additional campaigns focused on DSGBV, and the responsibility for running future bursts of the existing DSGBV campaigns, has transferred to Cuan, the new DSGBV Agency.
