Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

The United Kingdom made provision for groups such as the elderly with regard to analogue switch-off. We are considering the arrangements that were made in the UK and these will inform our view and policy in regard to analogue switch-off when we come to that point.

A Deputy opposite suggested we should be spending money on information campaigns at this stage. That would be very premature. What we need is to ensure we know when the system will become operational. When the pilot scheme is completed to our satisfaction, we can then start the information campaign.

The loss of UK spillover services is an issue. The UK intends to begin analogue switch-off in 2008. Many Irish householders have benefited in the past from free-to-air UK analogue television services. While they benefited from this, it should be remembered that this overspill was a positive but accidental benefit which occurred as a side effect of analogue transmission.

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