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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said the Government are looking at abolishing VAT on newspapers in this year’s budget.
Speaking to reporters in the Irish Consulate on Park Avenue in New York, the Taoiseach said he is “positively disposed” to cutting Ireland’s 9% VAT rate for newspapers.
Following the publication of the Future of Media Commission report, the Taoiseach said they wanted to do “everything we possibly can” to ensure that print media survive, stating that it is operating in a “very difficult environment”.
“We will be examining that positively,” he said, adding that it is under consideration at the moment as budget negotiations kick up a gear over the weekend ahead of budget day on Tuesday.
“It is an issue that is on the table certainly,” he said.
The media has proven itself throughout the pandemic, in terms of bringing information to people, he said.
The Taoiseach said it goes to the heart of what is being debated in the United Nations in terms of the centrality of the media to democracy.
It is unclear if the move extends to online subscriptions and all news providers or just physical newspapers.
Both Sinn Feín and Labour have also called for the 0% VAT rate on newspapers in their alternative budgets.
The Future of Media Commission was set up by the Government in 2020 to examine the future of Ireland’s broadcast, print and online media, and to consider how it can remain sustainable and deliver public service aims over the next decade.
The report made 50 recommendations.
The VAT rate on print and digital newspapers in Ireland is among the highest in Europe.
Other countries such as Denmark, the UK, Belgium, Norway, Austria and France have a zero or reduced tax rate.
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#WAP
There’s an app called our pact – ourpact.com
It enables you to schedule times for your child’s device to have the apps active. You can also turn them on and off at will – removes the friction of “give me the phone”.
With a phone, the phone part keeps working for texts & phone calls – this is good for safety, however almost everything else including internet access shuts down. for a tablet, only core apps keep working.
It’s free as far as I know.
I’m sorry but you don’t give a 12 year old the world at the click of a button
Pretty much impossible to stop that Adrian.
Education is key.
Technology today is similar to letting your kids ramble off for an entire day anywhere they like when they are 6,7,8,9
They could be anywhere, be with anyone, taken, who know.
Only a matter of time before they access technology, whether it’s in your home, schools mates phone, tablet, whatever. Forbidden fruit is only more attractive, more you try to prevent it the more they will hide it from you and the consequences all the worse.
Really really … really important for parents / guardians to educate and regularly speak to children, you need your child to trust you, share with you, be safe … have fun but with guidance and support.
I remember being 12 using the family computer and on an Irish chatroom Widemouth talking with complete strangers about everything as I did every day when my Mother entered the room, she told me to stay away from those chat rooms as she had just heard about the Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells soham story that was breaking at the time with the danger of speaking with strangers on the internet becoming apparent to her, she would have seen the chat room on screen but didn’t register what it was. What she also didn’t know was that I had already met up with people from that chat room and gone bowling.
In hindsight I realise how dangerous that was but also it highlights how far behind media and concern groups are with what kids are actually doing, there was a big uproar about chatrooms at the time but only because two girls had gone missing after using one.
It’s important for parents to educate themselves but also to be aware that they will never be able to stop a determined teenager from doing as they wish online. It’s better to encourage them to use good and safe practices like not providing identifiable details to strangers or in a place where strangers may access, not just their name but their e-mail address, location and their school as well. I think it’s important that the teenager feels able to talk to you about any issues which happen online as well rather than feel reluctant for fear of being blocked or forbidden from doing something they enjoy.
This is the wrong approach.
You need to raise smart & tech-savvy kids – not sheltered & isolated ones. They’ll be exposed to stuff either way. Trying to keep them away from everything online is impossible, so much better they know how to deal with it WHEN it arises.
@Jason Maguire: What an idiotic idea. I couldn’t want my daughter exposed to hardcore pornography or paedophiles even if she were completely aware of what they are and how to deal with them. Neither do I want her to see people decapitated live on a stream.
I’m lucky that as a software dev I am able to completely shut down objectionable content if I need to, however if I wasn’t then I would take the approach of a hard wired connection on the main computer in a common living area. No doubt about that.
@Dennis Laffey: so you control the internet access on her friend’s devices and in their homes too? Solid idea there.
Of course you’d block porn at home, you dope – what I’m saying is make sure they’re savvy enough to spot if some weirdo is chatting to them in a Facebook chat, or on Snapchat, or Whatsapp, etc. Don’t be naive – don’t be gullible. You cannot protect them from everything, despite you thinking you can. You don’t control the entire internet, Dennis. You control what they can see in YOUR home only.
@Jason Maguire: No need for the personal attacks Jason.
Look at what you wrote; “This is the wrong approach”.
In the context of this article (which talks about setting up basic blocking and educating children and parents about the dangers of unsupervised access to the internet) it is logical that I would assume that you are advocating for not educating children and not blocking access. Follow on with the rest of your comment and it very easy to presume that you are in favour of a laissez-faire approach to children’s access to the internet. Which is obviously crazy.
I don’t disagree with your more defined comment, but next time try to be more accurate about your opinions from the start. I am not able to guess at what you meant to type.
“You cannot protect them from everything, despite you thinking you can. You don’t control the entire internet, Dennis. You control what they can see in YOUR home only.”
I never said I could/did control the whole internet. No need to dip into logical fallacies Jason.
Well Kenny would know… he’s still Taoiseach so it’s obviously not all about the votes either
have your say