The debate will follow the normal pattern. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. He will contribute for eight minutes; group spokespersons for six minutes; and all other Senators for three minutes. The Minister of State will then reply at the end of the debate.

Before I call on the Minister of State, I welcome guests of Deputy Edward Timmins, all the way from Blessington Active Retirement Group in Wicklow. You are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. It is great to see you here; thanks for coming. Anois, an tAire Stáit, más é do thoil é.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Tá mé sásta go léifear an Bille don Dara hUair anois.

Dlí tábhachtach is é an Bille um Rialáil na Meán agus tá áthas orm é a chur faoi bhráid an Tí. The main aim of the Bill is to implement the European Media Freedom Act, EMFA, into Irish law. The EMFA is an EU regulation which seeks to protect media freedom and pluralism across all member states.

A free, independent media is a key pillar of democracy and is essential for healthy public debate. In Ireland, freedom of the press is enshrined in our Constitution, and we have a robust legislative and policy framework in place to ensure an independent and diverse media sector. This has been recognised in the recently published world press freedom index for 2026, which ranked Ireland seventh in the world for media freedom. While this is something that we should be proud of, we must continue to maintain and improve this standard.

The EMFA is a regulation, which means it is directly applicable in Irish law. Ireland's regulatory framework is already largely in line with the EMFA. However, some elements require further implementation in order to have full effect. The Media Regulation Bill will further align our regulatory framework with the requirements of the EMFA. It will do so by focusing primarily on two areas, namely, the amendment on our existing media mergers regime and the introduction of new rules to increase transparency in advertising by public bodies.

With regard to media mergers, our existing media merger regime is set out in the Competition Act 2002, as amended. This Bill maintains the same overall approach when introducing targeted reforms to increase efficiency of the process and to ensure full alignment with the EMFA. Most notably, overall responsibility for the media mergers function will transfer from my Department to Coimisiún na Meán. The EMFA requires national media regulators to be responsible for or at least substantively involved in the assessment of media mergers. This transfer of responsibility will leverage an coimisiún's expertise. Its status as an independent regulator will address any potential perception of a political element to decisions regarding media mergers.

Another significant change is that mergers and acquisitions involving online platforms will now come into scope. It is an important amendment which takes into account the digital transformation of media and the ways in which we access and consume it. The Bill also introduces a turnover threshold whereby the media business being acquired must have sales of at least €2 million in the State to require notification to Coimisiún na Meán. This will ensure that the regulatory process is proportionate and focused on the most impactful of mergers. In order to capture any exceptional cases which do not meet this threshold, an coimisiún will have the power to call in mergers where it is of the view that there is likely to be a significant impact on media plurality or editorial independence.

The Bill will also address the issue of advertising by public bodies. Public bodies spend a significant amount of money on advertising with media organisations each year and this is an important source of revenue for those businesses. It is important that there is a high standard of transparency regarding that expenditure. Under the EMFA, public bodies must ensure that expenditure on advertising with media services or online platforms is allocated in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. Public bodies must also publish annual information on the total amount spent on advertising and amounts spent with individual media services and online platforms.

The Bill contains a number of implementing provisions to give full effect to these requirements, including a definition of public authority or entity, detailed timelines for the publication of expenditure information and an obligation to publish a plan for compliance with the EMFA's requirements. Coimisiún na Mean will be designated as the body responsible for monitoring State advertising in Ireland and will be required to produce an annual report based on the information published by public bodies. An coimisiún will develop guidelines to assist public bodies in fulfilling their obligations.

The Bill will also entrust Coimisiún na Meán with a number of other functions under the EMFA. Coimisiún na Meán will be responsible for developing a database containing information on the ownership of all media services in the State. An coimisiún already manages a similar database, mediaownership.ie, but the Bill will establish a statutory basis for the database and set out how it needs to be developed further in line with the EMFA's requirements.

The Bill also sets out a new role for Coimisiún na Meán regarding transparency of audience measurement. An coimisiún will be tasked with encouraging audience measurement providers operating outside of industry-agreed standards, particularly online, to draw up and adhere to jointly-agreed codes of conduct.

It is important to note that some provisions of the EMFA will be implemented separately to the Bill. Safeguards for the independence of public service media, such as RTÉ and TG4, are being implemented through the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill, while adjustments to criminal justice legislation are being progressed by the Department of justice to strengthen the protection of journalistic sources.

I note the urgency of the Bill. As most of the EMFA's provisions have applied since August last year, it is important that this Bill is progressed to enactment as quickly as possible to ensure that we are in compliance with EU law. Having said that, the Government is fully committed to debating the Bill as required through the Oireachtas process. I look forward to a constructive discussion on these issues with Senators in the Chamber today.

I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State back today. He has outlined important legislation. He touched on two parts that I think are of the utmost importance. First is the part pertaining to online issues. How matters are reported online and associated disinformation happens has to have some sort of filter or safeguard. That is an important part which the Minister of State has hinted at. He also mentioned the national media, the priority, and the guarantees to our national media. It is something else that we have a grade A - we are lucky to have in this country - a guaranteed standard of verified information that people know they can go to and rely on.

As part of his briefing, the Minister of State might tease out one other matter further. The regional and provincial newspapers really need to be protected and nourished at present. I am sure there are safeguards pertaining to them, as the Minister of State has outlined, that will protect them in a certain way, but they need some sort of financial help. Many of these papers and entities are at a crossroads. If we do not do this, we risk the quality of news that has been produced over the years from the Dundalk Democrat to the Westmeath Examiner or Westmeath Topic in County Westmeath. These papers are extremely important. People know when they open the paper that what they are hearing is reality, not fiction or somebody's hard opinion on what they think reality should be. They are getting the hard facts. This source of information and news was never more needed than it is at present. Anything we can do to help assist and maintain these sources of news for the local communities is most important.

As part of his brief and as part of this overall review, while this regulation is welcome and much-needed, I ask the Minister of State in his position to do anything he can to influence and bolster these blocks of real information in our lives. I thank the Minister of State and appreciate the legislation. We look forward to seeing him with his sports hat on in St. Loman's in Mullingar very soon. He was instrumental in providing a great service to the club there recently. Robert and I will be delighted to have the Minister of State back in Mullingar to turn on our lights. We will be doing it literally this time, not just metaphorically.

I welcome the guests of Senator Rónan Mullen to the Gallery.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome this Bill and the essence of it, which, as the Minister of State has set out, focuses principally on media mergers and acquisitions, as well as on the important issue of advertising by public bodies.

I have a few points to make. In relation to media mergers and acquisitions, we had representatives of the Department, Coimisiún na Meán and, indeed, the independent radio sector before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport yesterday. As the Minister will know, there is considerable concern at the effect that the broadcast levy is having, particularly on smaller independent media organisations. Basing that levy on turnover seems to me to be very problematic in circumstances where organisations might have a large turnover but a very tight profit margin. There is ambivalence about whether it is entirely desirable that Coimisiún na Meán is becoming the regulatory behemoth that it is, with a very large inflow of staff and so on. It looks like we are entering into a highly regulated environment. While that is welcome in some ways and regulation is necessary, I sometimes wonder whether regulators can also become tyrants.

One of the issues I have warned about and raised with Coimisiún na Meán is the potential conflict between its role as a dispenser of funding to media on one hand and any perception that it might be seeking to curate the mood around certain issues on the other. For example, Coimisiún na Meán has a role in promoting diversity and various good things but that, in a sense, is a political goal. My concern is that we are not looking sufficiently at what diversity actually means. It is clear to me that when we talk about the important issue of media freedom we think of jurisdictions like Hungary, for example, where a lot of very understandable criticism was made around excessive state control of media. There is also the danger of excessive monopolisation in media ownership and another concern that was raised yesterday is the fact that a number of our local radio stations are being bought up by, in some cases, international organisations. Whether there is anything in this legislation or elsewhere that addresses this, I think most people regret it when they hear that a long-established local newspaper or radio station has been bought up by a much larger body and sometimes an international body. People wonder how well they can continue to reflect local concerns and issues when that is happening.

In respect of the role of Coimisiún na Meán in scrutinising or being in charge of advertising by public bodies, it is important there is transparency and it is important there would not be discrimination. A point I have repeatedly put is that there is a danger of groupthink in the Irish media, though not necessarily because of State control or monopolisation. I have focused in particular in the past about a failure in RTÉ, for example, to cover a range of different points of view across a range of controversial social issues. Take migration, for example. Take debates about controversies about trans issues and so on. There is a perception that the establishment media looks over its shoulder at what the Government expects it to say to curate the national debate, so to speak.

Media freedom must be about more. It must certainly be about media freedom from excessive state influence. However, there is also a need for scrutiny of the media itself to make sure it has enough diversity within its own ranks so as to ensure the reflection of the full range of opinions on issues in society. Freedom of expression is vital to the functioning of a democracy. If one takes the very difficult area of migration, where important questions need to be asked about what is happening in our society and how we are going to manage it, there is a sense out there that the establishment media cannot be fully trusted to let the full range of points of view be heard. In the long term, that is not good for our democracy.

We have to deal with the paradoxical situation that social media and new digital media in some ways are the Wild West. On the one hand, there are very negative forces availing of the platform it gives them to amplify points of view that are not necessarily based in fact. However, on the other hand, the new digital space has brought a welcome democratisation whereby points of view that simply have not been permitted to be expressed in the mainstream are actually allowed to be heard. That is actually a very good thing.

To sum up my comments, I have absolutely no objection to any of the provisions in the legislation before us today. We have to bring forward this legislation. As was said, it is directly applicable, coming from our European Union obligations. However, it remains to be seen the extent to which the structures we have established for media regulation in Ireland actually do ensure the necessary facilitation of diverse opinions across our society being treated with equal respect and being fully facilitated in the media that are being regulated.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá sé iontach go bhfuil sé anseo chun an Bille seo a phlé. This Bill is an important step in ensuring Ireland continues to have a viable, dynamic and trusted media landscape. It gives legislative effect to the European Media Freedom Act and strengthens the protections that underpin media independence and public trust.

The Bill introduces several key reforms. First, it transfers responsibility for overseeing media mergers from the Minister to Coimisiún na Meán, with new criteria to prevent excessive concentration of ownership. That is something that Senator Mullen has just touched on. Second, it requires the Departments and State agencies to publish annual reports on their advertising expenditure, ensuring transparency and fairness in how public money is allocated. Third, it empowers Coimisiún na Meán to develop new standards for audience measurement and to maintain a public database of media ownership. These are common-sense measures that work together to protect plurality, prevent dominance by any one organisation and ensure that public spending on advertising is transparent and equitable.

Ireland has long benefited from a media environment that is trusted and broadly non-polarised. This Bill helps to safeguard that environment at a time where many other countries are grappling with deeply divided and partisan media ecosystems. Under the European Media Freedom Act, Ireland must strengthen protections for journalistic sources, safeguard the independence of public service media, ensure transparency of ownership and standardise procedures for media mergers and audience measurement. While Ireland has already strong safeguards in place, this Bill aligns us fully with EU standards, as the Minister of State has said, and updates our regulatory framework for the digital era.

A central provision is the shift of media merger oversight to Coimisiún na Meán. This will help ensure that no individual or conglomerate can accumulate disproportionate influence. For decades, people in Ireland have been able to rely on a wide variety of media sources - print, broadcast and digital. Protecting that diversity is essential for public discourse and for democracy itself. We cannot assume we are immune to the polarisation seen elsewhere. Our shared facts, our trusted institutions and our broad media plurality are strengths worth protecting.

In that context, I want to acknowledge the vital role of our public service broadcaster. In an age of algorithms and disinformation, the integrity of RTÉ's news and current affairs output is more important than ever. Journalists, editors, news programme co-ordinators, NCOs, reporters and programme makers in the RTÉ newsroom and RTÉ news and current affairs have continued to uphold high standards, even when reporting on difficult issues within their own organisation. Their professionalism strengthens our democracy and they deserve recognition. I want to put that on the record of the Seanad.

This Bill also introduces new transparency requirements for public advertising. With digital platforms capturing an increasing share of advertising revenue, public spending now plays a more significant role in sustaining media organisations. It is essential the public can see where this money goes and that smaller and local outlets have fair access to public advertising opportunities.

The Bill significantly expands the role of Coimisiún na Meán. It will maintain a national media ownership database and develop shared codes for audience measurement, including for online platforms where metrics are often opaque. These steps enhance transparency, support competition and strengthen public trust. The provisions in this Bill are proportionate, practical and necessary. They protect media plurality, ensure transparency in State advertising and guard against the over-concentration of media power. They do so without placing undue burdens on media organisations, instead focusing on safeguarding the public interest and maintaining trust in our media landscape.

Before I call the next speaker, I welcome Senator P.J. Murphy along with his friends from Minnesota. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Sinn Féin will not be opposing this legislation, as it addresses many of the issues we have raised over the years in relation to media ownership and independence. Almost a decade ago, current Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan commissioned the report on the concentration of media ownership in Ireland that highlighted Irish media ownership as being at high risk due to the influence of figures like Denis O'Brien. That report found that Ireland had one of the most concentrated media markets of any democracy and it stated that it was imperative that urgent action be taken, and seen to be taken, to reassure journalists, media organisations and the wider public. The top four print groups - Independent News and Media, now Mediahuis, The Irish Times Group, Reach plc and News Corp - were found to have collective control of 91% of the print media audience. The radio sector was flagged as having a high concentration of ownership, with television then noted as having a medium-high concentration of ownership, and online news noted as having a concentrated ownership.

There has been very little done by the Government since that time, and I welcome the fact that this step is finally being taken and that Coimisiún na Meán is being given powers in this area. This is welcome news.

It was noted at the time the report was published that having such a high concentration of media ownership in the Irish market threatened media news variety and undermined the media's ability to be a public watchdog to hold money and power to account, which is important. That it is why it is important that we move this Bill along quickly and that we also possibly look to strengthen it in places it may be lacking, such as breaking up existing media concentration. There should be an assessment of current media companies in terms of what may be considered as an existing monopoly, and we should examine how Coimisiún na Meán will deal with that.

With this legislation properly put into effect, we should hopefully prevent a Rupert Murdoch-type media dominance in this State, which unfortunately looks to be replicated again in the United States with the Ellisons looking set to gain control over CBS and CNN, and with them a huge chunk of the American news market. Control of the media by a smaller number of powerful media owners is highly dangerous for democracy and harmful for society as a whole.

We are already living in an era where trust in traditional media is alarmingly low and the State should be taking actions to counteract that. For that reason, the Bill's focus on audience measurement systems with a view to improving transparency and reliability is also welcome and worth scrutinising a bit more on Committee Stage. The requirement for Coimisiún na Meán to co-operate and encourage the adoption of codes of conduct by industry to promote transparency around audience measurement systems may not have the powers that are required to ensure accuracy and transparency.

I look forward to future debate on this legislation and having the opportunity to make constructive amendments. I thank the Minister of State for bringing this before the House.

Before I call the Minister of State to respond, I welcome the teachers and students from Lisnagry National School in Limerick. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann, especially Tess Ryan. Tess's mother is Senator Dee Ryan. It is great to have Tess and all the class here. I believe they had elections last week and they elected a taoiseach. The students all had different political parties and the election of the taoiseach was followed by a motion of no confidence. It had something to do with chocolate and Tayto. The proper consumption of healthy food is an issue that we are struggling with in this House, and it is always a debate worth having.

We are delighted to have Tess and the rest of the school here, especially with Senator Ryan here as well. I thank the teachers for bringing them here. I suppose it is not much good to them, but I was talking to Senator Ryan earlier about how one of the rules of the Seanad was that when a school came to visit, there was no homework for the rest of the week. However, I get the sense that there is probably no homework for the rest of the month, so the students might get no homework for their first week back, if that is alright. If they need a letter or anything in writing, they can send it on to me and we will make sure that the teachers obey the rules of the Seanad when they go back to school.

I look forward to meeting the taoiseach. I believe the school has a ceann comhairle and leas-cheann comhairle as well. We could take lessons from the students in relation to running the school and the class, so I thank them for being here.

All the way from the Parliament of Tasmania is Jen Makin. I thank her for visiting the House as well. She might give the school some tips. Previously known as Van Diemen's Land, some famous Irish people went to Tasmania as guests of the Crown, which is another way of saying "prisoners". We used to have a statue of Queen Victoria at the front of Leinster House that we eventually sent to Sydney in Australia. If any of the students ever end up in Sydney on a visit, they should go and see the statue outside the Queen Victoria Building in the downtown area. There is a plaque that says the statue used to be outside the Parliament of the Irish people and was given through the generosity of the people of the Republic of Ireland.

What I love about the statue is that the arc of history and justice bends very slowly, but after Queen Victoria sent so many Irish people to Tasmania and Australia, the Irish people eventually sent her.

Does Senator Ryan wish to say anything while the school is here?

I just want to wish them all well in their new secondary schools in September. This is a sixth class group, so they will be breaking up in a couple of weeks' time and moving on. We hope to see some of them back here in the future, either as staff members of the Oireachtas or some of them may choose to stand for election themselves.

Any one of them could become Taoiseach. I thank them for coming.

I welcome the school as guests of the Oireachtas, as well as our friend from Tasmania.

I thank the Members for the cross-party support for the Bill and for the various contributions. It is an important addition to our national media landscape and the regulatory system. It is important that it is being done at European level as well, given that we operate within a much wider international sphere, political system and political discourse.

I look forward to further engagement with the Members in relation to the remaining Stages of the Bill and to seeing it implemented. Go raibh míle maith agaibh to the Cathaoirleach and to everyone for their contributions so far.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Next Tuesday.

Is that agreed? Agreed.