Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I am disappointed that the commitment entered into by the Minister on Committee Stage has not been delivered. I do not criticise the Minister of State but his response sounds like it was rushed into print to apply a sticking plaster to the proposals made by Opposition Deputies. It is akin to arguing it will be all right on the night.

If submissions had not been made by members of the public and experts in the field and if those with the relevant technical knowledge had not gone to the trouble of making submissions, Deputy Broughan and I would not have tabled these amendments and this discussion would be unnecessary.

I reject the Minister of State's argument that it will be possible to accommodate the technology standards referred to in the amendments. It is as easy to be precise at the outset about the quality and standard of the technology to be used as it is to run after the wagon later to try to apply technology that was not envisaged. Anyone providing a service who reads this legislation or the transcript of the debate will note that while the Minister and the Minister of State left open the options of using DRM or DAB, they did not come down on one side or the other. That is the critical factor.

Given that Ireland has been slow to give a lead to the world on broadband and in other technological areas, it is unfortunate the Minister did not avail of an opportunity to take positive, future-orientated action by setting a high standard for others to follow.

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