From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, has today announced her intention to appoint the following to be members of Coimisiún na Meán:
The Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Act 2022 was signed into law on 10 December 2022. Following its commencement by the Minister, the Act will dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and establish Coimisiún na Meán as the body responsible for overseeing the regulation of broadcasting and video-on-demand services and introducing the new regulatory framework for online safety, implementing the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive into Irish law and for supporting the development of the wider media sector in Ireland.
The Executive Chairperson and Commissioners will take up their duties in mid-February. Their forthcoming appointment follows an open competition run by the Public Appointments Service.
Speaking today Minister Martin said:
“Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic transformation in the way in which we view, read and listen to media content, whether on television, radio or over the internet. In particular, there has been an explosion in the amount of user-generated content that we all encounter online.
"In response to these changes, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 will establish a new body, Coimisiún na Meán, to oversee a comprehensive new regulatory framework for traditional broadcasting services, video-on-demand services and, for the first time, for online services. Coimisiún na Meán will also be responsible for implementing many of the recommendations made by the Future of Media Commission.
"Coimisiún na Meán will be central to safeguarding all of us, and in particular children, as we interact with and use online spaces. It will also have a central role in ensuring the media sector here in Ireland remains viable, independent and capable of delivering public service objectives by implementing many of the recommendations made by the Future of Media Commission.
"Today, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of the members of the Coimisiún na Meán, including the Executive Chairperson and Online Safety Commissioner. Jeremy, Niamh, Rónán and Celene will bring a wealth of professional experience and regulatory expertise to their roles."
Speaking about his new role, Jeremy Godfrey said:
“It is an honour to be appointed as Executive Chairperson of Coimisiún na Meán. Together with my fellow Commissioners, we aim to ensure a thriving, safe and diverse online and media landscape. In particular, it will be a priority that citizens in Ireland and across the European Union should have a high level of protection from illegal and harmful content.
"We look forward to putting in place robust and effective regulatory mechanisms, as well as expanded broadcast and media funding schemes, so that we achieve these goals.
"We look forward to engaging openly and transparently with all stakeholders and to working closely with fellow regulators in Ireland and across the European Union, as well as with the European Commission, as we implement the new regulatory frameworks for online safety and broadcasting.”
The OSMR Act 2022 was enacted on 10 December 2022. The OSMR Act 2022 amends the Broadcasting Act 2009 to establish Coimisiún na Meán, dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, establish a regulatory framework for online safety, update the regulation of television broadcasting and video on-demand services, and transpose the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive into Irish law.
Under the OSMR Act 2022, Coimisiún na Meán will be a multi-person Commission responsible for overseeing the regulatory framework for broadcasting services, video-on-demand services and online safety and play a key role in the development and funding of the wider media sector. Coimisiún na Meán will be led by an Executive Chairperson, and include, on establishment, an Online Safety Commissioner, Media Development Commissioner and Broadcasting Commissioner.
In addition to the regulatory responsibilities conferred on it by the OSMR Act 2022, the government has decided that Coimisiún na Meán will be designated:
The post of Commissioner for Digital Services was advertised by the Public Appointments Service on the 13 January. It is intended that the Commissioner for Digital Services will, working closely with the Online Safety Commissioner, take the lead in building the Digital Services Coordinator function within Coimisiún na Meán.
Coimisiún na Meán will have a modern suite of robust compliance and enforcement powers, including the powers to appoint authorised officers to conduct investigations of suspected non-compliance, to require the provision of information and to seek administrative financial sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover. Ultimately, providers of regulated services under the Act who remain in breach of the rules may be subject to criminal prosecution.
The Executive Chairperson will have overall responsibility for the general management and control of Coimisiún na Meán, and will lead An Coimisiún as a collective decision-making body. The Executive Chairperson will be the accounting officer for Coimisiún na Meán, and in that capacity be responsible for appearing before the Committee of Public Accounts.
The Online Safety Commissioner will oversee the regulatory framework for online safety, and will be empowered to make binding Online Safety Codes to hold designated online services to account for how they tackle the availability of some of the most serious forms of harmful online content. The Commissioner is also empowered under the Act to order the removal or limitation of availability of specific items of harmful online content, either on foot of a complaint or on its own initiative.
The Commissioner will be responsible for the implementation of an individual complaints mechanism, taking into account the recommendations of the Report of the Expert Group on an Individual Complaints Mechanism. The Expert Group recommended that an individual complaints scheme may be implemented on a phased basis, following the establishment of effective systemic regulation of the complaints handling processes of regulated online services.
The Online Safety Commissioner will be specifically designated as such by the Minister under section 11(7) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 (as amended by the OSMR Act 2022).
The Media Development Commissioner will have overall responsibility for the funding and development of the wider media sector and for the implementation of a number of the key recommendations of the Report of the Future of Media Commission.
In their development role, the Media Development Commissioner will be responsible for overseeing the management of the Broadcasting Fund and Sound and Vision and Archiving Schemes and implementation of the Media Fund proposed by the Future of Media Commission. The Media Development Commissioner will also oversee measures to drive equality, diversity, and inclusion in the media and to support environmental sustainability in the media sector. The Media Development Commissioner will have lead responsibility in overseeing a comprehensive review of the provision of Irish language services across the media system.
The Broadcasting Commissioner will have overall responsibility for the regulation of audiovisual and sound broadcasting services, including the regulation of public service broadcasting, the making and implementation of codes and rules applicable to the broadcasting sector and exercising the auditing, investigation, enforcement and sanctioning powers for those services. The Broadcasting Commissioner will also be responsible for leading on matters relating to the licencing of and complaints regarding audiovisual and sound broadcasting services.
The Minister has exercised her power under the Broadcasting Act 2009 (as amended by the OSMR Act 2022) to appoint the CEO of the BAI as Broadcasting Commissioner for a period of up to one year.
All sections of the OSMR Act are subject to Ministerial commencement order and the establishment of An Coimisiún is subject to a Ministerial establishment order. It is intended to commence the relevant sections of the OSMR Act 2022 and formally establish Coimisiún na Meán a number of weeks after the appointment of the Executive Chairperson and Commissioners.
Jeremy Godfrey has over 30 years of regulatory, government and business experience in the communications, technology and online sectors, in Ireland and Hong Kong.
Jeremy is currently Chairperson of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Previously he served eight years as a Commissioner and Chairperson of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). During that time, he also served as Chair and vice-Chair of BEREC, the coordinating body for EU telecoms regulators. In Hong Kong, he served as Government Chief Information Officer, as a management consultant and as a senior executive in the telecommunications sector.
Jeremy has been involved in regulatory developments such as the EU's Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the Open Internet Regulation. As Hong Kong Government CIO, he had responsibility for the e-government programme and cloud computing strategy, as well as for Internet governance, digital inclusion and promoting online safety. As a consultant, he advised clients about online business strategies and on regulatory issues in the communications, energy, transportation and financial services sectors. While in the telecommunications industry he was involved in the launch of the world's first commercial online video-on-demand service as well as in many regulatory issues.
Jeremy started his career as a civil servant in the UK government. He holds an MA from Cambridge University, where he studied mathematics.
Niamh Hodnett has extensive experience in designing, enforcing and managing compliance with regulatory obligations in the online and communications fields. Her regulatory expertise spans data protection, cybersecurity, competition, consumer protection and communications regulation. Her online safety experience includes putting in place a Memorandum of Understanding with An Garda Síochána as well as an Interpol Agreement on blocking access to the Interpol worst of list of child sex abuse material and overseeing implementation. She also has significant experience of putting in place online measures to protect people at risk of gambling addiction online. Niamh has brought criminal prosecutions for regulatory breaches as well as civil enforcement compliance proceedings. She has in-depth litigation experience of appeals and judicial reviews.
Niamh’s most recent role was Chief Legal and Regulatory officer at Premier Lotteries, the operator of the National Lottery. She was previously Head of Regulatory Affairs at the mobile phone company, Three Ireland, a senior legal advisor with the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), a regulatory lawyer with An Post and a member of the EU, competition & regulatory law teams at Mayer Brown in Brussels and Matheson in Dublin.
Niamh qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and is an expert in regulatory law with extensive knowledge and experience of both Irish and European law. She studied Law and German at UCC and has a master’s in law from Universität Passau in Germany. She has co-authored European Law published by Oxford University Press and Regulatory Law in Ireland published by Tottel. She is also a qualified mediator.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill was appointed as an Coimisinéir Teanga on 12 March 2014. He was re-appointed for a second term in 2020. He was appointed by the President of Ireland following his nomination by the government. Both houses of parliament accepted that nomination unanimously.
As language commissioner he has advocated for strengthening language legislation in Ireland and has advised government, political parties, Oireachtas committees and various other stakeholders of the necessity of robust legislation. A revised Official Languages Act which ensures a significant increase in language rights for the public and bestows comprehensive obligations on public bodies regarding the provision of state services in Irish was enacted in December 2021.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill is the chair of the Irish Ombudsman’s Forum, the Irish representative on the executive board of the Ombudsman Association and the former chair of the International Association of Language Commissioners.
Rónán has previously spent sixteen years as a journalist with both TG4 and RTÉ. In 2006, he was appointed as Political Correspondent with Nuacht RTÉ/TG4 and presented numerous political programmes such as The Week in Politics.
He holds a BA from University Galway, a MA in Leadership & Strategy from the Institute of Public Administration and a Professional Diploma in Corporate Governance.
Celene Craig is Chief Executive Officer of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), having taken up the post in June 2021. Prior to this appointment, she held the role of Deputy Chief Executive with the Authority since its establishment in 2009. With over 30 years’ experience in media regulation, she also worked with the BAI’s predecessors, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC).
Over the past six years, she has played a senior leadership role in strategic planning for legislative, institutional and structural changes in the Irish and European media regulatory regimes and led the development and formulation of the BAI’s policy position in respect of the future Irish regulatory framework for broadcasting, on demand and online safety. Currently, in her role as BAI Chief Executive, Celene is leading the transition of the BAI into the new statutory Irish media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, and in planning for the establishment and operationalisation of the regulatory body.
Since 2020, Celene has been a member of the board of the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA), an advisory body to the European Commission. She is one of four principals involved in the establishment of the Irish Digital Regulators Group, and one of four regulators that founded the Global Online Safety Regulators Network in 2022. From 2015-2019, she chaired the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) and is an active participant in a range of national, European, and global fora on legislative and regulatory matters in the audiovisual and online safety fields.
Celene holds a number of qualifications from the King’s Inns, Dublin, including a Barrister-at-Law degree, and from the ACCA (Chartered Association of Certified Accountants).