Mr. Michael Keogh:

The Saorview digital network is necessarily different from the analogue network. There are technical constraints and differences between them. We have addressed what we can address. Analogue services are currently being transmitted from 149 sites. From 24 October next, Saorview services will be transmitted from the 64 sites we are building. We have worked with communities. Apart from other financial aspects, it costs approximately €60,000 to build a small transposer site.

That is the real cost. It also costs a couple of thousand euro a year to keep it running but one needs a willing landlord, access and planning permission. A number of the existing sites are on the basis of goodwill rather than any legal standing. There is a solution because at the chimney of every house in the country, bar a few hundred, people receive free-to-air services. Getting it into the house is the €100 issue.