Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for the invitation to appear before it. I take this opportunity to congratulate Deputy Tom Hayes on his appointment as Chairman of the committee and wish him well. There is a heavy agenda to be addressed in this area. We had a good working relationship with the Chairman's predecessor, Deputy Andrew Doyle, and members of the committee, with whom we managed to get through a good deal of work. I have no doubt this will continue under the direction of the current Chairman.

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the committee about the analogue switch-off campaign which has been under way since this time last year. Giving television viewers a full year's notice of what was coming down the track was deliberate. In addition to my discussions with individual colleagues, some of whom are here today, two separate presentations were made in the audiovisual room on the implications of digital switchover.

I am accompanied by the assistant secretary at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr. Eamonn Molloy, who has oversight of this campaign from the Department's point of view. Ms Mary Curtis is the head of RTE's digital television services and director of the digital switchover campaign for RTE. Mr. Michael Keogh is a technical genius. His ingenuity has been tested as he travelled the country to ensure a smooth roll-out of the digital network. Should members have detailed or technical questions they wish to raise, one of us will, it is hoped, be able to provide answers for them.

I understand each member of the committee received a briefing document from my Department and RTE earlier this week. I do not wish to go over the details contained therein. This meeting presents me with an excellent opportunity to get several messages out, the first of which is that the analogue switch-off will take place on 24 October. It is important that people are persuaded that it will happen and that it is not a frolic by the Irish Government or me, as the signal is being switched off across Europe. The date and time for the switch-off in Ireland is 10 a.m. on 24 October. It will happen. People who have not switched before that date will have no signal on 25 October. It is important that people appreciate this. This is not a case of "It will never catch on down here." People will not be able to view "Coronation Street" if they do not make the switch before 24 October. In this regard, it would be immensely preferable if people did not wait until 23 October to do so. It is the nature of people in Ireland to wait until the last minute to do things, at which point there will be queues and many people will be disappointed. We do not want to see that happen.

Irish television customers have a choice in terms of the three different television platforms available. In order of scale, these are satellite, cable and digital free-to-air. Saorview is the national digital free-to-air network. Following switch-off, we expect Saorview to be the exclusive television viewing platform of between 12% and 15% of households in this country. The range in respect of households with a second or third television is somewhere between 20% and 25%. Some colleagues here have raised with me the fact that Saorview will only be available to 98% of the population. One hundred percent of the population is covered by the free-to-air Irish satellite option, Saorsat. This solution was developed to cater for the 2% who cannot get Saorview. As such, there is, for the first time, virtually full coverage nationwide for free-to-air viewers choosing to use Saorview and Saorsat.

The digital switchover campaign has been a national one, involving efforts across a range of areas, including information, advertising and PR and community initiatives and campaigns locally.

I would like to record today my appreciation for the work done by the voluntary organisations and the 26 local digital champions we put in place working under the auspices of The Wheel and Irish Rural Link, which are the national co-ordination groups. I have been around the country to some of the voluntary organisations and there is tremendous commitment from them, including the GAA. Its social initiative in this regard is very important, and other contributing organisations include Age Action Ireland, the Irish Farmers Association, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the rural transport initiative. I was in Meath last Friday evening at an event with approximately 150 people. There is also the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to consider, as well as a myriad of other local community and voluntary organisations.

These voluntary groups have given the digital switchover campaign a particular focus in getting the public at parish level and in local communities to assist neighbours and relations in making the switch to digital. The campaign has also received strong support from An Post, which I acknowledge, as it conducted a very successful national mailing of publicity information on time. Post offices nationwide are currently offering switchover information and services to consumers, and I commend the staff and management of the company for the contribution to the campaign. I know the committee is examining the future role of the post office network in a different context, and I suggest that the company's role in this campaign is a useful pointer to the type of service that it can offer to the State and general public in what is a rapidly changing business environment.

Through the committee I also emphasise my advice to those making the switch to digital in the days and weeks ahead to use a trusted and approved installer. The names of the installer organisations are available from Saorview if anybody is in doubt. That is important, as we have had regular contact on a range of issues, technical and otherwise, with installer organisations. We do not want people to be taken advantage of.

The aim of the digital switchover campaign is to ensure nobody is left behind in this move to digital broadcasting. All the international experience suggests that a substantial proportion of television viewers leave the change to the last minute, which could be a concern. I am encouraged by reports in recent weeks from around the country of a significantly higher level of retail sales of set-top boxes, as well as increased installer activity.

Since the launch of the digital switchover campaign in October last year, I have taken an active role in the programme. A former Fianna Fáil spokesman, Deputy Ó Cuív, asked if there is an alternative if 20,000 people are left without a television signal. I told him I had one - for me to emigrate - so for that reason I have been closely involved in the process. We do not want such a scenario, so we have operated a campaign of public information and advice and hand-holding by local organisations where possible. I have attended many of the public events during the campaign and we have had a special digital switchover awareness week, as Deputies know, and we have attempted to respond to requests from Deputies for information in so far as we can. I am very impressed by the efforts put in by local communities, in particular, across the country to ensure we have as smooth a transition as possible to the world of digital broadcasting for all.

We will do our best to answer questions. Perhaps the Chairman can give a few minutes to my colleague, Ms Mary Curtis, who can provide some up to date statistics, as the process is monitored week by week.