Aithním an imní atá ar an Teachta Ó Snodaigh maidir leis an gceist áirithe seo. Tá sé le feiceáil go minic agam go bhfuil Tithe an Oireachtais tiomanta dhá-theangachas a chruthú sna Tithe seo. Mar a dúirt mé cheana, tuigfidh an Teachta gur ghnó é d’Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga monatóireacht a dhéanamh ar fheidhmiú an Achta agus nach bhfuil aon ról agam mar Aire ann. Is gnó é chomh maith do chomhlachtaí poiblí iad féin a gcuid dualgais faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla a chomhlíonadh. Tuigtear dom go maith gur reac…

The independent examination of RTÉ, which I announced last week, will be composed of two reviews, namely, a review of governance and culture, and a review of contractor fees, human resources and other matters. While the terms of reference of the review of governance and culture of RTÉ does not explicitly reference climate change, it does provide for an assessment of the impact of RTÉ's commercial income activities on its public service remit. This aspect would be expected to address the impact of sponsorship, produ…

I agree. That is why I think it is about the examination and whatever findings come out from that. It is also about what Coimisiún na Meán is doing, and we have strengthened its remit through the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act. As I said, Coimisiún na Meán has indicated in the work programme it published last week that it will be consulting on the making of media service codes this quarter with a view to bringing them in before the end of the year. Section 7(4)(c) of the Broadcasting Act provides that Coimi…

As I said, given the examination I announced last week, I believe the terms of reference of the review of governance and culture provide for that assessment of the impact of RTÉ’s commercial income. I believe this aspect might be expected to address the impact of sponsorship, product placement and advertising on delivering a service that has the character of a public service. Confronting the climate crisis is one of the primary challenges facing our society. As Ireland's media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán is indepe…

One of the key objectives of the Future of Media Commission was to consider how changing trends in media consumption were affecting media in Ireland and how future funding could be made secure and sustainable. In broad terms, the commission identified a long-term shift in the pattern of consumption of media towards online media and social media platforms, and towards accessing media on phones and laptops rather than traditional television sets. This analysis of the long-term changes in patterns of consumption under…

The rise of new technologies and delivery channels for people to consume news has had a profound effect on news media, both in Ireland and across the world. In particular, traditional news media, such as television and print news, have significantly declined as a main source of news for Irish people since 2015, with print suffering a decline from 49% to 23%. This is in contrast to online media, including social media, which has remained a main source of news for approximately 80% of Irish people since 2015. This ha…

Securing sustainable funding is key to the success of public service media. The regulation of all media is essential. We accepted 49 of the Future of Media Commission’s recommendations. The one that was not accepted last year was on an Exchequer funding model. The Government is of the view that reform and enhancement of the current television licence fee system is essential. We set up a technical working group to examine how that could be achieved. That group submitted a report to me at the end of March and we were…

The decision had to be paused because the environment of trust is not there. That is why the examination I have initiated is key. We are cognisant of the value of our national broadcaster and its security from the points of view of public service broadcasting and its staff. Regarding the Future of Media Commission’s report, there was a provision for interim funding. I provided €15 million last year under the recommendations. The report provides for €16 million this year. We need to take everything into consideratio…

All of this was considered by the Future of Media Commission in its report, which was concerned with changing trends and different ways of accessing information. We accepted 49 of the report’s 50 recommendations. It was just the commission’s recommendation on the funding model that we did not accept because we were afraid of the connection between the Government and public service broadcasting. Long-term funding is something we are discussing. User-generated content cannot be treated the same as editorial media. I …

Is cuid ríthábhachtach dár ndaonlathas é craoltóir seirbhíse poiblí iontaofa. I bhfianaise na gceisteanna faoi RTÉ a tháinig chun solais le déanaí, ní mór an mhuinín sin a atógáil. Ní féidir é seo a bhaint amach ach trí scrúdú leathan cuimsitheach a dhéanamh ar na fadhbanna in RTÉ agus trí bhealaí nua a chur i bhfeidhm chun gnó a dhéanamh chun nach dtarlóidh siad arís. Dé Máirt seo caite, an 4 Iúil, d'aontaigh an Rialtas le moltaí a thug mé chun tosaigh chun tús a chur le scrúdú cuimsitheach ar RTÉ ina mbeadh dhá g…

Sílim go bhfuil trí cheist ansin. San am atá agam, déanfaidh mé iarracht iad a fhreagairt. Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir ach creidim gur thóg ard-stiúrthóir nua RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst, roinnt céimeanna tábhachtacha chun tosaigh. Ina measc seo tá na gníomhartha seo a leanas: ar an gcéad lá, rinne sé an bord feidhmiúcháin a lánscor; agus d’fhógair sé grúpa comhairliúcháin foirne agus suirbhé fostaithe agus go bhfuil athbhreithniú á phleanáil aige ar róil agus gráid, pá agus comhionannas inscne agus tá clár leasaithe á c…

Mar a dúirt mé cheana, bhí an-áthas orm a chloisteáil i ráiteas an ard-stiúrthóra nua go bhfuil i gceist aige casadh le Nuacht TG4, le Raidió na Gaeltachta agus le Nuacht RTÉ. Sin tús an-mhaith. Leagtar amach go soiléir i gcónaí an tairbhe a eascraíonn ón táille cheadúnais teilifíse a íoc. Cé go dtuigim an fhearg atá ar dhaoine, is é an seasamh atá agamsa ná go mba chóir do dhaoine an táille a íoc. Dliteanas reachtúil é an ceadúnas teilifíse agus tá sé ríthábhachtach chun an tseirbhís craolacháin phoiblí a chosaint…

I believe that part may have been disallowed but I will certainly come back to it. The importance of the tourism sector to the Irish economy and to communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood. Tourism is woven into the fabric of our Irish cultural and social life. As a proud Monaghan woman and a proud Carrickmacross woman born and bred, transplanted to Dublin, I am very conscious of the importance of the tourism sector, particularly throughout regions and I have and will continue to engage and advocat…

I am acutely aware of the important role the Nuremore Hotel and Country Club played as an economic driver and tourism amenity in Carrickmacross and surrounding areas throughout the years. The closure of this hotel is a huge loss to the area. While the tourism sector is rebounding strongly post Covid, I am also always concerned to hear of any such closures. The loss of jobs in that hotel and the wider downstream impacts on other businesses in the area are of huge concern. However, it is a commercial property for whi…

I would love to see that happen. I really hope it does, because as a woman who grew up on the Dundalk Road in Carrickmacross, the Nuremore Hotel is so close to there, so I am aware of the value of this hotel to the community. I saw that a few weeks ago when I went home for the annual occasion on the Dundalk Road. Many of the people who return home used to go to that hotel on the first Sunday of every July, and it was closed. People were devastated to see it in disrepair. But it is a commercial property and orders t…

Tuigtear dom ón Údarás go bhfuil an eagraíocht ag tabhairt faoi obair phleanála dá phunann maoine chun a chinntiú go mbeidh siad in ann teacht ar réitigh dá gcuid cliant-chomhlachtaí reatha agus nua chomh maith lena gcuid geallsealbhóirí eile mar is cuí. Tá tugtha le fios ag an údarás dom go bhfuil go leor oibre idir lámha ag an eagraíocht faoi láthair. San áireamh anseo, tá an eagraíocht ag tabhairt faoi staidéar ar an infreastruchtúr, foirgnimh agus talamh atá aici, chomh maith le cúrsaí fuinnimh agus carbóin. Tá…

Tá formhór de na foirgnimh seo folamh ón tréimhse idir 2018 go dtí 2023. Tá eisceachtaí ann freisin. Tá foirgnimh ann atá folamh le hos cionn deich mbliana. Ní aon rud neamhghnách é seo mbeadh foirgnimh fholmha ag áisíneacht forbartha acmhainní ar nós Údarás na Gaeltachta le punann maoine comórtas atá ag an údarás. Bíonn comhlachtaí ag teacht agus ag imeacht i gcaitheamh an ama agus go minic bíonn uasghrádú le déanamh ar fhoirgnimh sular féidir iad a chur ar an margadh arís le ligean ar cíos. Ach an oiread is le ga…

Táthar ag féachaint ar na féidearthachtaí forbartha do chuid de na foirgnimh fholmha atá ag an údarás, ag cur san áireamh na hacmhainní atá ar fáil leis sin a dhéanamh agus an leas gur féidir a bhaint as na foirgnimh. Nuair atá aon chinneadh á dhéanamh ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i dtaobh a chuid maoinithe, bítear airdeallach i gcónaí ar an dualgas maidir leis an leas is fearr a bhaint as an acmhainn airgeadais atá ar fáil ón Státchiste.

Tá ráite ag an údarás go bhfuil sé ag tabhairt faoi obair chun a chinntiú go mbeidh sé in ann teacht ar réitigh dá gcuid cliantchomhlachtaí reatha agus nua, chomh maith lena gcuid geallsealbhóirí eile, mar is cuí. Tá mé ag fanacht go dtí go mbeidh an cinneadh déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i dtaobh a chuid maoinithe. Beidh mé ag féachaint ar cad a bheimid in ann a dhéanamh ar acmhainn áirithe atá ar fáil ón Státchiste ansin.

D'fhógair an tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí post an Choimisinéara Teanga ar an 19 Bealtaine 2023 le spriocdháta den 8 Meitheamh chun iarratais a dhéanamh. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil an próiseas sin beagnach críochnaithe anois. Agus céimeanna an phróisis earcaíochta leanta go cuí, cuirfear moladh maidir leis an té atá le ceapadh faoi bhráid an Rialtais ar dtús agus ansin cuirfear faoi bhráid Uachtaráin na hÉireann é. Meastar go dtógfaidh an próiseas seo uile thart ar trí mhí ó thús go deireadh. Mar a luadh cheana, ar …