Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Kenny on two points and I am aware of the Ceann Comhairle's efforts to progress reform issues. There is an agenda to which I am open and ready to move on. We could do a lot to improve how we run the House even within the existing hours. Recently I looked at the figures for last year. With Leaders' Questions, Question Time, the Order of Business and the Adjournment Debate, we continually squeeze legislative time which is the primary purpose of the House, although obviously answering questions is part of that. We could introduce many reforms.

We could also address how we deal with urgent matters which is always a cause of frustration. It could be done better than the way we have done so, or the way in which I have operated for six years or so. I do not have a problem with the current system but one could get more up to date information by involving other Ministers. If the object is to get information — although I am not always sure it is — we could do it in a better way. If the object is just to liven up the House, we probably cannot do so. We should look at that matter. Many useful reports which do not really get too much of an airing could do so.

I am entirely in agreement with Deputy Kenny on a dedicated television station broadcasting unedited recordings of what happens in the House, although perhaps edited if there is repetition. I watch much of what goes on at committees because I have access to committee broadcasts in my office. There are very interesting committees and very interesting presentations are made by all the interested bodies representing all sectors of Irish society, including employers, employees, the public and civic society. Probably the only place they ever make a public presentation is in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I probably only know about 3% of what they say and do, although I try to look at the recommendations of the major reports which come out. Quite frankly, I do not get to read a huge amount of the detail unless it is something in which I am particularly interested, which is a small amount. I regularly watch committees dealing with the semi-States because it is a form of information and is close to what I deal with on a daily basis. Top class reports were issued in the life of the last Dáil.

Presentations made to committees would fill many television stations. Obviously, if the Dáil is being broadcast, everything else could not be but it would be very suitable for running in the evening or at weekends. It might never have high TAM ratings but I do not believe many people watch much of the stuff I happen to flick through when looking for the programme I want to watch. I would say that a lot of the rubbish that is on TV does not get much of a TAM rating, although I have to confess that some of the rubbish gets very high TAM ratings. That is always a point of view one would have.

A dedicated television service would help to publicise some of the quality presentations which are made. I suggest to the Ceann Comhairle that the best way to bring this forward would be through the joint administrative committee, which is chaired by Deputy Barry Andrews. Perhaps the committee should consider this proposal as its first project. I do not think it would be too difficult to do that. I understand that it would be easy enough for us to do it. Deputy Kenny made the key point that we should not be worried about TAM ratings anyway. We are talking about the dedicated work of a group of people and the knock-on effect it has on many others. It may be the case that not everyone will watch the channel when groups come before the Oireachtas to represent a substantial number of people.

I had this debate with some of the members of a group representing the credit unions who came to an Oireachtas committee to make a submission. They almost blamed me when they did not get much coverage for raising the issue. I understood their frustration. They made the point that their submission was vitally important because they were representing 2 million members of credit unions. The people in question, all of whom were volunteers, had spent four weekends preparing their submission. It was not the committee's fault that they did not get a second of coverage. I tried to explain to them that such a lack of coverage is encountered here all the time.

The establishment of a dedicated channel, which obviously would be advertised like all other channels, would have a beneficial effect on the House. It would also cover the point about committees being uninteresting and insufficiently covered. They should receive more coverage, in fairness to Members. I understand that Members have to be re-elected. They are always being asked to do this, that and the other. If Members thought the time they dedicate to a committee, or two committees if they are serving on two committees, would be reflected on television, they would have a bigger interest in doing that. That would make life more interesting around this House in the future.

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