John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

These amendments deal with the remit of the RTE Authority and consequent reporting obligations. My amendments Nos. 91 and 92 require the RTE Authority to review and report to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, on the third and fifth anniversaries of the coming into force of this provision, on the provision of the broadcasting service to Irish communities abroad as mandated by this Bill. The amendments also require the Minister to lay such reports before each House of the Oireachtas.

Government amendments Nos. 91 and 92 derive from an amendment No. 13 proposed by Deputy Eamon Ryan. Amendment No. 13 provides that RTE may choose any form of broadcasting transmission platform for the purpose of providing a broadcasting service to Irish communities abroad. The current text of the Bill does not prescribe the method of transmission that RTE must use in delivering on its mandate to provide a broadcasting service to Irish communities and, as such, it will be a matter for RTE to choose the most appropriate broadcasting transmission platform to deliver on its new mandate.

Amendment No. 13 also proposes reporting requirements in respect of broadcasting to Irish communities abroad. The reporting requirements proposed in Government amendments Nos. 91 and 92 and existing sections 14 and 15 of the Bill address the reporting issues raised in Deputy Eamon Ryan's amendment and, as such, I do not propose to accept amendment No. 13.

Amendments Nos. 2, 16 and 17, as proposed by Deputies Durkan and Eamon Ryan, relate to the incorporation by the RTE Authority, on a national digital terrestrial television multiplex, of Oireachtas proceedings and the proceedings of local authorities. Section 28(2) of the Broadcasting Act 2001 currently requires the RTE Authority to broadcast programmes that provide coverage of proceedings in the Houses of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament as part of the national television broadcasting service. Section 3(2) of the Bill, in essence, requires the RTE Authority to carry the national television broadcasting services of RTE and TG4 in digital form on a multiplex to be established by the RTE Authority. Consequently, the authority is not precluded by the legislation from carrying Oireachtas proceedings on a multiplex.

While I share the Deputies' concerns regarding the appropriate coverage of the proceedings of the Houses of the Oireachtas, further consideration is required by the Houses as to the form such coverage should take, be it by way of a dedicated channel or otherwise, before additional obligations are placed on the RTE Authority. Discussions have taken place between officials of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Department with regard to carrying an Oireachtas channel on the digital terrestrial television pilot. The impediment to such carriage relates to the need to edit and combine material at source within the Oireachtas into a channel for transmission. This is a matter solely for the Houses of the Oireachtas to decide on.

On the coverage of proceedings of local authorities, the RTE Authority is neither precluded nor obligated under the proposed legislation from incorporating such proceedings on any national multiplex. Further consideration is required as to the funding, form and manner of such coverage before additional obligations are placed on the RTE Authority. Consequently, it is not intended to accept amendments Nos. 2, 16 and 17.

Amendments Nos. 8 and 9, proposed by Deputy Durkan, amend the core remit of RTE to allow it to provide international broadcasting services. The existing text of section 3, which mandates RTE to broadcast to Irish communities abroad, already provides sufficient latitude and direction regarding broadcasting overseas.

Amendments Nos. 11 and 12, as proposed by Deputy Broughan, would have the effect of requiring the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to establish the proposed new television and radio service for Irish communities abroad either on its own or with the RTE Authority and to ensure that any such television service would have to approximate the existing schedules of RTE1, Network 2 and TG4. The amendment, as drafted, would in effect require the broadcasting regulator to become involved directly in broadcasting activities. This obviously has potential for serious conflicts of interest and consequently it is not proposed to accept amendments Nos. 8, 9, 11 and 12.

Amendments Nos. 90 and 93, proposed by Deputy Durkan, relate to reporting requirements imposed on the RTE Authority in sections 14 and 15 of the Bill. On amendment No. 90, section 28(11) of the Broadcasting Act will require the Minister to submit reports provided by the RTE Authority, under proposed section 14, to the Houses of the Oireachtas. On amendment No. 91, the proposed section 15 empowers the Minister to require the RTE Authority to keep special financial accounts regarding the proposed broadcasting service to Irish communities overseas. As such, it is not intended as a qualitative reporting mechanism, the latter being dealt with by Government amendments Nos. 91 and 92 and the proposed section 14. Consequently, it is not proposed to accept amendments Nos. 90 and 93.

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