Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will turn my attention to community television. I wholeheartedly support this sector. Where I come from, Navan, we were very lucky to have a community television station for a long time, as naturally befits Navan's status. We had Navan Television which subsequently became Province 5 Television and was run by Kevin Mac Namidhe. I want to give him particular mention because the programming that he conducted was absolutely magnificent. In my first election in 1999, some 24 years ago, I was able to watch the first couple of counts live at home before I went to the count centre. The channel had conducted TV interviews with all of the candidates in the local election. It is quite significant. I therefore know the value of what it did in broadcasting things that no one else would touch at local level. Over the last three decades, we have seen the importance and value of local radio, which is very significant in this country. There is an equal appetite for community and local television stations. With regard to the Community Television Association's ask, the 1% and so forth, would that be a case of just maintaining services? Ms Bowell mentioned growing. What is the potential for growth? We do not have that community television station any more. What is the potential for growth beyond where the association is at the moment?