Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 3, line 15, after "IRELAND" to insert the following:

"IN RELATION TO THE BROADCASTING OF THE BUSINESS OF DÁIL AND SEANAD ÉIREANN".

I do not wish to delay the House but wish to point out that on Committee Stage the Minister indicated he might consider this matter and perhaps he has given his colleague instructions to make a positive statement now.

The amendment relates to the broadcasting of Dáil and Seanad proceedings. The Minister seemed to support this, but wavered as the debate progressed and mentioned that it was a matter for the broadcasting commission. We know it is a matter for the commission, but it is also a matter that should be dealt with by legislators in broadcasting legislation. It is time the Houses of the Oireachtas had their own broadcasting channel. Other jurisdictions already have this facility. In many other jurisdictions the notion was not given much of a hearing because it was suggested nobody would watch parliamentary proceedings.

Broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings was introduced in Canada where it has proved to be very successful and has drawn the interest of the public. It involves the public in the day-to-day business of Parliament and lets them know what is going on and when; they recognise this is better than getting the second-hand version of events. This is not a reflection on journalists or on those who report proceedings. The point is we live in an era of reality TV. Therefore, broadcasting proceedings is one of the best ways of bringing the public into the arena with legislators and keeping them up to date with what is happening.

Broadcasting of proceedings would also ensure that people elected to Parliament will recognise they are in the public eye at all times. We tend to forget that we work in a goldfish bowl and perhaps say things we should not say. We live in a democracy and part and parcel of the advancement of technology in that democracy is the ability to use it for the benefit of the democratic process. There is no better way to involve the public than to broadcast the live proceedings of the Dáil and Seanad.

I do not agree with those who say it would neither work nor be a commercial success. However, it would take far too long to go into the many variations of what could be done to make it a success now. Suffice it to say, having consulted with my colleagues, with Deputy Broughan of the Labour Party and with the broadcasting committee in my capacity as Fine Gael Chief Whip, and having listened to debate on the issue over a number of years, I have no doubt that the time has come for the introduction of the service. The legislation best positioned to push this forward is the legislation before us, notwithstanding the responsibilities that will fall on the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas or the broadcasting committee later.

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