Is the Senator calling for a debate?

I will be if-----

This is the Order of Business. It is not a Second Stage speech.

I am calling, if the Cathaoirleach will allow me to proceed-----

I will.

Any attempt to target misinformation and disinformation is likely to favour establishment voices at the expense of alternative ones, whether they be on the right or the left. In the Anglosphere, the terms "misinformation" and "disinformation" are used inconsistently across a variety of contexts but they are generally not applied to establishment media. Let us look at an example. RTÉ said there were 50,000 attendees at last week's demonstration. Does this photo look like 50,000 people? RTÉ previously said that a similar sized protest had hundreds of attendees. Will the fact checkers check this?

I am sorry Senator-----

Of course not. That is part of the problem.

I hate to interrupt the Senator. This is the Order of Business and it is not-----

I am well aware. I will be-----

I ask the Senator to respect the Chair for second. This is not a Second Stage speech. It is not a debate on a Bill.

I am asking for a debate.

Thank you.

In all fairness-----

I am being fair.

Actually, I do not believe you are.

That is okay. I am but-----

I do not think the Cathaoirleach is treating me equally to other Members.

I would be happy to talk to the Senator again about that. This is not a Bill. This is the Order of Business, where Members request a debate or for a Minister to come to the House. That is all I am saying.

Well said.

That is in the interests of all. I am fair to all Members.

Okay. I certainly hope the time the Cathaoirleach has taken away from me will be given back to finish my speech.

I will adjudicate that as Chair. I will chair the proceedings.

RTÉ's big personalities, many of whom are paid six-figure salaries, frequently allow politicians to present inaccurate narratives and avoid difficult questions. Will this be considered misinformation or disinformation? Will political parties be targeted for putting out false information about their achievements or their opponents? I would advise you to think very carefully about the precedent you establish. At the moment, our libel laws are being abused by politicians to silence journalists. Will the committee empower tech companies to decide what misinformation and-----

Senator Keogan without interruption please. The Senator is inviting commentary and interruption from Members by her comments.

Deliberately.

This is the Order of Business-----

This is the Order of Business and at the end of my speech I will be calling for a debate with the Minister.

With respect, the Senator is here now two years. This is the Order of Business. It is not, as I said, Second Stage, Committee Stage or Report Stage.

It is not. That is correct. I will be looking for the Minister to come in if I am allowed to finish my speech.

I ask the Senator to conclude then.

Thank you. Will the committee empower tech companies to decide what is misinformation and disinformation? They have an interest in suppressing information about their own corruption and malpractice. Targeting the far right and commentators online while at the same time failing to target the problems in establishment media and political parties will only erode-----

I ask the Senator to conclude now. I have added on time for her.

The real question for the Government and the media should be how we can rebuild trust. If you spend all your time trying to avoid criticism no one will trust you and your efforts will be in vain. I call on the Deputy Leader to allow us to have the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in here before she establishes the committee to give us the guidelines she is hoping to set out.