Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 81 together.

Digital television is already available in Ireland across a number of platforms. Both cable-MMDS operators and satellite operators provide subscription digital television services to almost 50% of Irish television households. Digital radio is currently available via the Internet. The future roll-out of digital terrestrial television, DTT, and digital radio services in Ireland will ensure that Irish viewers continue to have access to free-to-air Irish public broadcasting.

New and enhanced channels and services can be made available to Irish citizens on digital platforms. It is currently estimated that approximately 29% of television licence households use analogue free-to-air terrestrial television only and that up to 90% of households use analogue free-to-air terrestrial television on at least one television set. The future roll-out of digital terrestrial television will be particularly important for these households, especially given the inevitability of analogue switch-off. The European Commission has proposed a switch-off date of 2012 for analogue television services.

With the aim of exploring issues around DTT, I launched a digital terrestrial television pilot in August 2006. The pilot will encourage both public and stakeholder interest in DTT and bring momentum to the development of DTT in Ireland. To date, €6 million has been allocated to the establishment of the DTT pilot. Some €2 million will be allocated to the DTT pilot during each of the years 2007 and 2008, which is referenced under the NDP. This expenditure is primarily for infrastructure build and not for public information campaigns. Public information campaigns around analogue switch-off, which are common in many countries planning for switch-off, may be considered in the future. There are currently no proposals for further expenditure on the pilot. The pilot project is set to run until 2008.

The proposed Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill recently initiated in the Seanad seeks to put in place a licensing framework for a national roll-out of DTT into the future. It is expected that the processes necessary for licensing of a national DTT roll-out under this Act will commence in 2007. RTE will be obliged to provide public service broadcasting channels on a DTT platform and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland will licence commercial broadcasters to provide services on the same platform.

In addition, the Bill includes similar proposals for a licensing framework for digital radio. Digital audio broadcasting, DAB, is one of the most common technical standards currently being considered by broadcasters for digital radio. While DAB is not as well established in the EU as digital terrestrial television, it has been successfully established in the UK. RTE is currently running a DAB trial which will allow issues around a full roll-out to be explored.

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