Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will move on to linear broadcasting which, I accept, is probably not part of the brief for today. I have never had the opportunity to ask questions about 2rn or Saorview so this may just be an opportunity for me to make a comment if the witnesses cannot come on it. Some 10% of television households receive services through Saorview. With the exception of RTÉ, all channels are standard definition on Saorview. We moved to a digital terrestrial television service so that we could have more choice for viewers and, also, HD services. In the past, ComReg has commented about 2rn and RTÉ having the ability to engage in exploitative and exclusionary behaviours in terms of digital terrestrial television. Is it good enough that for 10% of television households most of their channels are in standard definition and for it to be so difficult for the likes of TG4 to have Nuacht TG4 as a standalone channel and, eventually, Cúla4 as a standalone channel on digital terrestrial television? Is that acceptable to RTÉ? Is there anything that can be done to improve the situation? While I am talking about the RTÉ player, linear broadcasting will be around for at least ten years. Can we improve that situation for 10% of television households such that they can have high definition? For example, if one watches Leaders' Questions on RTÉ, it will be in HD, but if one switches over to the Oireachtas television channel it will be in standard definition. I know which one I would go to. Is that an acceptable situation? Is there anything that can be done to improve that for so many television households?