Mr. Stephen Ryan:

The principal set of targets is derived from RTÉ and TG4, the public service broadcasters. They have a statutory obligation to develop commitment targets which are reviewed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI. As they are the principal centrally-funded bodies, that is how we can commit them to setting targets and have them reviewed. The funding provided to other sectors is via the broadcasting fund. The Department is not directly setting the expenditure and is not able to direct the expenditure because the broadcasting fund is a statutory fund which is independently and competitively allocated by the BAI. It means the Department is not influencing how the funding goes so it is difficult to influence the targets in it. In the future, possibly as coimisiún na meán develops other codes and wider issues come under its remit, there may be a possibility to address the range of targets.

Over the last couple of years, there has been more targeted funding for the community and commercial sector. A lot has been driven by needs within the sector and using sound and vision funding to support it through those years. That was obviously reactive to make sure the sector remained supported, but not something that had been there beforehand. While entities are eligible to apply for grant aid, it is competitive so it is difficult for us to set targets as to what level of support they would be given and the levels of programming.

On the community sector, it is really about social benefit. Most of the community stations are not driven by the need to increase and grow membership. It is more about providing a benefit to the local catchment area, particularly on the community side. As time passes and perhaps as different supports are available to the sector, we could look at how we might then be able to report on outputs and set targets for them.