Dail Éireann · 2025-10-02
Party shown is the one held on 2025-10-02, frozen at parse time — not the speaker's party today.
This is being achieved through a range of media schemes for which local, regional, independent and community radio stations and broadcasters are eligible to apply. The news reporting scheme will provide €4 million, including a ring-fenced €3 million for the commercial radio sector to support public service content that is underprovided for or at risk of underprovision.
The aforementioned measures are in addition to the Sound and Vision scheme operated by Coimisiún na Meán, which provided funding of more than €22.7 million in 2024 for the production of audiovisual works, of which almost €1.7 million went to commercial radio. I understand the importance of ensuring our local and regional radio stations, which are among the most trusted news sources in the country, remain viable and strong and actively contribute to a thriving and diverse media landscape.
Built by scoring every sentence in the debate on how distinctive its language is, then quoting the highest-scoring ones back word for word and in the order spoken. Nothing is paraphrased or invented — if a sentence appears here, it was said in the chamber. Drawn from 436 words across 5 contributions by 2 speakers.
How often each word appears across the whole debate, ranked by how distinctive it is to this debate rather than common to all parliamentary language.
All 5 contributions, start to finish, in the order they were made. The one you came here for is highlighted.
What measures is the Minister adopting to ensure that independent radio stations, such as Live 95, which covers the constituencies of the Chair and the Minister, have fair access to funding in budget 2026, particularly in underserved rural areas? By what means does he plan to support current affairs and local news provision?
The programme for Government acknowledges that local and national independent broadcasters perform a vital public service and that this should be supported. Radio Kerry is probably one of the stations that will be tuning in this morning. This is being achieved through a range of media schemes for which local, regional, independent and community radio stations and broadcasters are eligible to apply.
A total of €6 million was provided in budget 2025 to ensure the continuation of the local democracy and courts reporting schemes, applications for which recently closed and are currently being assessed. Two new schemes have been launched this year. A total of €3 million is being provided for the digital transformation scheme, which was launched in September. It will support media organisations to innovate and transition to the digital information environment. The news reporting scheme will provide €4 million, including a ring-fenced €3 million for the commercial radio sector to support public service content that is underprovided for or at risk of underprovision. This scheme is providing an important avenue of funding in support of the provision of independent and trustworthy news and current affairs content. It will assist in promoting a plurality of voices in our media sector. Applications to the scheme closed last Thursday and are currently being assessed.
As recommended by the Future of Media Commission, Coimisiún na Meán is progressing research into current community media supports. This research will help to determine optimal supports going forward and establish the foundations on which a new scheme may be devised. The aforementioned measures are in addition to the Sound and Vision scheme operated by Coimisiún na Meán, which provided funding of more than €22.7 million in 2024 for the production of audiovisual works, of which almost €1.7 million went to commercial radio. More than €600,000 has been provided in 2025 to the commercial radio sector through the scheme.
Coimisiún na Meán will monitor the impact of each of these schemes and update them as appropriate in order to ensure they are accessible to the wider media sector and continue to deliver on intended objectives. I understand the importance of ensuring our local and regional radio stations, which are among the most trusted news sources in the country, remain viable and strong and actively contribute to a thriving and diverse media landscape.
I thank the Minister for the response. Independent radio is a trusted voice for 2.5 million people across Ireland. For less than 1.4% of total media funding, we can protect and strengthen that service, with just €4.5 million coming from the budget. It is good to hear €3 million will be kept ring-fenced in order to continue delivering independent, high-quality news and public service content. A total of €1.5 million is needed to safeguard our transmission system, which is a lifeline for communities when broadband or electricity fails, as we saw during Storm Éowyn, as well as a guarantee that 30% of the Sound and Vision fund goes to independent radio, which will come at zero cost to the taxpayer, which we both like, I assume. That will ensure digital funding continues into 2026 so Irish radio stays strong on every dashboard and digital platform. It is about fairness and giving independent radio the tools it needs to keep serving Ireland. With modest support, we will continue to deliver essential public service broadcasting in every county every day.
My surname is O'Donoghue and I have relations in Kerry. The people of Listowel are a great bunch of lads.
Of course, the Chair is no stranger to Live 95 in Limerick. I often come on that radio station on his coat-tails. Deputy O'Donoghue is right about the importance of local commercial radio. It has given a voice to people across the country who would not otherwise have one. Let us be fair about it: until the advent of local commercial radio stations, the only voices heard on the radio in Ireland were Dublin ones. If a regional voice was heard on the radio, it was ordinarily because of bad news, such as something closing down or an atrocity or something. That is not what people want. The misinformation, disinformation and malinformation strategy that we brought to the Government last year is a fundamental plank in protecting our democracy because local radio is trusted. I have a good relationship with the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. It has met me on a number of occasions and it has a good relationship with the Department. I have outlined the schemes that we have in situ already. The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland is working with and very supportive of those schemes. I hope to be in a position to expand those schemes over the lifetime of the Government with the programme for Government.
I thank the Minister.