I call on the Minister to make a response.

I think Senator Seery Kearney would like to hear the Minister's response.

The Minister can go ahead. We want to hear his response.

No, that is fine.

No, that is fine. It is a pity other Members did not stay around for the Minister's response, but that is the way it is.

I thank the Minister.

I would like a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Simon Coveney, on the sweeping global layoffs in the tech industry, what measures can be taken to reduce the impact of such on Ireland and, more broadly, how we can address the structural vulnerability of the economy on account of its reliance on a small number of large firms. Recent research carried out by the Central Bank has revealed job losses of 2,300 in the tech sector. A whopping 18,000 people are employed by Amazon in this …

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words this morning and for attending a coffee morning in aid of UNICEF. I thank my colleagues and all the team members who helped to raise much-needed funds for UNICEF. I welcome H.E. Gergana Karadjova. It was lovely to have her, as part of the diplomatic corps, to support UNICEF this morning. It is lovely to have her here celebrating the day for the people of Bulgaria. I visited her country for the first time approximately 33 years ago. I was pregnant with my son at the time …

I wish to speak about the group that the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media will be establishing to fight misinformation and disinformation. This group will aim to create measures to support innovation and fact-checking. While the aims of the groups sound noble, this is not something I support. The State has a vested interest in suppressing information about its own failures. Public trust in institutions has declined for good reason. The social contract is broken. Due to the failures of…

I will be if-----

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

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 sim…

Of course not. That is part of the problem.

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

I am asking for a debate.

In all fairness-----

Actually, I do not believe you are.

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

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

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 empo…