Mr. Kevin Bakhurst:

I thank Deputy Michael Colreavy for his comments. Regional balance is something we constantly talk about. The Deputy is correct in that we have a Sligo studio. Eileen Magnier is a very strong advocate for coverage from Sligo and from that area of the west. She is very busy and I believe she would quibble with "hardly ever used" for live broadcasts. The Deputy is probably right in that we should be looking for more expert voices from there. As for the Cork studio being the Fianna Fáil studio, I believe that the Minister, Deputy Coveney would probably disagree - but it is a well used studio.

I totally agree with the Deputy about "Claire Byrne Live". Fairness in coverage is about not just the political parties, it is about the full range of voices. It is about giving voices to those people outside the norms. The "Claire Byrne Live" programme has done a lot to try and get people who have a particular handle on, or experience of, a story to participate in the debate, when they would not normally be part of that national debate. I welcome the Deputy's observations on that issue.