Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
481. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the measures being put in place to support the sustainability of local and regional media outlets in light of changing advertising revenues and increased digital competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33396/26]
View answerI understand the importance of protecting and supporting our local and regional independent media in order to sustain the continued provision of independent, high-quality journalism, which plays an indispensable role in providing objective, trustworthy and accurate news coverage to the public.
The Programme for Government recognises and acknowledges this and sets out our commitment to have a strong, independent media sector that provides essential public service broadcasting, supports local journalism, and upholds press freedom.
In line with the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission, the General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill contains measures to convert the statutory Media Fund to a platform-neutral Media Fund, providing greater certainty of support for the sector. This will fund all schemes prepared by Coimisiún na Meán to support the production, distribution and archiving of public service content by the wider media sector including local and regional outlets.
A suite of funding schemes catering to all parts of the media sector currently operate on an administrative basis, pending the establishment of the statutory Media Fund. In January of this year, Coimisiún na Meán announced a total package of just over €15m in supports for the sector, broadly aiming to enhance the provision of public-interest journalism, to assist the modernisation of technology and digital infrastructure and to support the upskilling of staff within the sector.
The Local Democracy and Courts Reporting Schemes aim to enhance the vital role of media service providers in reporting on public interest matters by funding comprehensive, professional and publicly accessible reports of court proceedings and the proceedings of Local Authorities at a local and regional level. Over €11.3m has been awarded by Coimisiún na Meán through these Schemes across two funding rounds, supporting print, online and radio.
The News Reporting Scheme supports the coverage of news matters which are under-reported on or are at risk of under-reporting. €3.8m was awarded through the pilot News Reporting Scheme this year, with Coimisiún na Meán opening a second funding round at the end of April.
€2.7m was awarded through the pilot Digital Transformation Scheme, providing vital support for media outlets to upgrade and enhance their technology and digital infrastructure as well as to provide training and upskilling opportunities for existing staff in the context of an ever-changing and increasingly digitalised media landscape.
Further to this, €1m was secured in Budget 2026 for the development of a Community Media Scheme which is expected to be launched in 2026. This reflects the invaluable role that community media plays in community engagement, cohesion, and in the promotion of social inclusion in communities across the State.
These supports are in addition to the Sound and Vision Scheme which continues to provide vital support to the audiovisual sector and through which €6.4m in funding support has been awarded so far in 2026. Coimisiún na Meán also intend to introduce an updated Sound and Vision scheme to align with the enactment of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill and will be engaging with stakeholders to inform the design of that scheme in due course.
Local and regional media outlets play a vital role in providing valuable public service content to the Irish public and contributing to the diversity and plurality of trusted voices in our media sector, which enhances democratic participation and safeguards our information space.
My Department and Coimisiún na Meán will continue to work closely together to assist media outlets at a local, regional and national level in navigating the challenges they face and to ensure that necessary supports are available in order to maintain and promote an independent and thriving media that is reflective of contemporary Irish society and that continues to play an invaluable role in community engagement, cohesion and the promotion of social inclusion across the country.
