Plans are in train for various State agencies to take charge of new rules to improve transparency around misinformation in political advertising.
Minister for Housing James Browne, whose department oversees policy around elections, will update Cabinet Ministers on the implementation of new European Union regulations that will affect political advertising published after next October 10th.
While final decisions are still to be made on which State body will take responsibility for each specific aspect, a Coalition source indicated Coimisiún na Meán would be a “natural fit” for online material.
Consideration is also being given as to which agency would be best placed to police offline material such as election posters.
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The new rules aim to make it easier for voters to recognise political advertisements, understand who is behind them and to know if they have received a targeted advertisement.
Mr Browne will also brief the Cabinet on plans to provide €73.9 million for rural community water schemes, of which there are about 750 across State supplying 125,000 homes. The multiannual rural water programme will support 291 projects that supply 63,000 homes not served by national water utility Uisce Éireann.
Meanwhile, Minister for Children Norma Foley will brief the Cabinet on plans to bring the Tuam intervention office under the indemnity of the State Claims Agency (SCA). This step will allow the SCA to handle any potential claims against the office and is standard practice for newly-established public bodies.
The office is charged with recovering, where possible identifying, and reburying remains of children inappropriately buried at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.
On tariffs and trade, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke will bring an action plan on market diversification to the Cabinet today. A key part of the Government’s plan to respond to the looming threat of tariffs is to find new valuable markets and supply chains for Irish exporters. Mr Burke will formally launch this next month alongside Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris.
Mr Harris will today tell Ministers the EU will “intensify” negotiating efforts with the US ahead of the August 1st deadline for trade talks. Ministers will also hear that Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will defer the introduction of health warnings on alcohol labels by two years, amid concerns that the labels could make Ireland less competitive internationally.
The mandatory health labels had been due to be brought in next year. Last week it was reported that the proposal would be delayed until 2029. They have now been deferred for two years rather than three to 2028.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Martin Heydon will bring forward a memo on behalf of Minister for State Timmy Dooley seeking to ban industrial trawlers from fishing within six nautical miles of the Irish coast. Such a measure had previously been attempted in 2019, but was subsequently overturned in a case taken by two fishermen in 2023.
The ban, which will apply to trawlers above 18m, is part of a plan to make inland fishing more sustainable and fairer for smaller fishermen. The ban is expected to face legal challenge, though it is understood the Government believes its legal position is “robust”.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary will give an update on the report of the registrar general which shows a 1.1 per cent decrease in births, a 0.2 per cent increase in deaths and a 3.8 per cent decrease in marriages.
