Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

I too congratulate Deputy Browne on his appointment as Minister of State to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

The Minister has in effect decided there will be a single content regulator for the public sector broadcaster, RTE, as well as the private sector companies. What is the timeframe? Does the Minister intend to bring forward the Bill this year? Given that we will spend most of our time in the House tomorrow on the contentious Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill, does the Minister intend to publish the broadcasting authority Bill at an early date and allow at least several months of consultation and discussion between the media broadcasters and ourselves, to avoid the kind of shambles which the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill has turned into at times?

Is the Minister concerned at the recent performance of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, especially as revealed in the court cases between Phantom FM and Zed FM involving the alternative rock music licence? It is alleged that one company involved operated illegally for seven years, that it had illegal events licences, that it accepted advertising illegally, that it had no proper libel insurance and that it flouted the law consistently. Following the oral hearings in November 2004, that company was nevertheless given the licence for the alternative rock music franchise. Is it of concern that much comment has been made on that award? Deputies on both sides of the House have received complaints. There has been consistent criticism of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, with the Ox report and the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources expressing the view that a review is needed. In this context, does the Minister plan to examine the issue of radio licensing?

Does the Minister agree with the comments made by his colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, at a recent public lecture on broadcasting. He condemned RTE journalists for agenda setting, campaigning and their investigate reporting. Was it within the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform's remit to do so and complain to the RTE authority about a "Prime Time Investigates" programme on the new prison to replace Mountjoy Prison when he did not take the trouble of going to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission? Does the Minister have any views on his colleague's lecture?

While travelling around my constituency between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. I noticed something in relation to the variety of existing licences, as the Minister may also have done. Does he agree that, when one presses the buttons for the five or six most popular radio stations, one finds Ryan and Gerry, Ray and Orla, Dermot and Dave or, in one of our Dublin stations, Colm and Jim Jim?

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