Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I too welcome this Bill, which is a very practical response to an area that has probably evolved more quickly in the past five years than in the previous 50. The advent of digital technology, the Internet and changed and changing ownership regimes have had more impact on the broadcasting sector than on many others. This Bill brings up to date the necessary legislation and the response to manage that change.

I welcome the increased oversight of the standards of broadcasting as well as the trading mechanisms of broadcasting. I also welcome the fact there is more openness in the contract awards system and in the areas around the licensing regime, which to date have been left open to question because of the manner in which licences were awarded.

As a public representative, I have daily interaction with the local radio sector. Those of us in rural constituencies probably have quite a different experience of local radio than many of our colleagues in urban constituencies. My local radio station, Mid West Radio, fulfils a public service broadcasting remit even though it does not get compensated for that, and is not publicly acknowledged for it. It regularly covers sporting occasions, community festivals and celebrations — even the celebrations of our emigrants abroad — and they are probably covered in a way that could never be commercially recompensed given the high standard of coverage.

Five years ago a landslide occurred in north Mayo late on a Friday evening owing to extreme and extraordinary weather circumstances. An entire community was cut off from services and information and people's lives were under threat. That night the entire resources of the radio station were devoted to keeping people updated on what was going on, the response of the emergency services and the county council, and to keeping them in touch with friends and loved ones. That could never be seen as commercial radio but because the station is part of the independent radio sector it could not get any recompense under public service broadcasting. Perhaps the Minister would consider making a discretionary fund available to the commercial radio sector for the provision of public service broadcasting in the real sense rather than in an academic sense and that it would get some payment for it.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has a fantastic sound and vision scheme. It uses money from the broadcasting fund, money we pay in television licence fees, to encourage independent production of radio documentaries. The success of that scheme is seen every year in the radio awards where local radio stations from around the country are nominated and often win their category for programmes funded under the scheme. That proves all the innovation in radio in recent years is being driven by the independent radio sector. The advent of text message and Internet-dominated radio and the much more relaxed way our radio stations operate today all owe their foundation to the independent radio sector. It is a shame the sector is still operating on an unequal playing pitch in comparison to the RTE stations. In spite of that it continues to provide innovation. I hope that in the oversight provided under the Bill the issue can be addressed more clearly.

The new licensing regime is particularly welcome. The contracts award committee and, in particular, the commitment to introduce score sheets will bring more transparency to the process. There has been significant investment in local radio by local radio management and owners since 1989 when the legalisation of local radio was introduced. Many of them have done well and made significant commercial returns but, as in all businesses, they had to invest the money in the first place. Many of them live under the threat of that investment and return being pulled from under them under the old contract regime. That happened in a number of instances. Many of the decisions were legitimate in terms of the BCI but because of the lack of transparency in the old decision-making system some decisions have resulted in bad feeling among commercial radio management and loyal listeners. Under the contracts award committee the new process is too late for many but will avoid that issue arising in the future and the possible tainting of any radio decision.

The recognition of the community broadcasting sector is to be particularly welcomed. Community broadcasting is not a new innovation in Ireland and has been a feature of television for many decades. Even before the current batch of local radio stations legalised community broadcasting facilities did exist. It is especially welcome and necessary in urban areas where local radio stations perhaps do not provide a local radio service. They may have a licence in a franchised area but there is very little difference between those radio stations and the national radio stations that cater to a certain market. The community radio sector can fill the gap, namely the needs of community radio, and the provision of information to people living in the area. It also encourages people to get involved in the sector. Again, that is an area that provides innovation and new thinking in the radio sector. Because of its probably under-resourced nature it has to resort to different ways of doing things that ultimately become standard practice.

Review of the current position of the RTÉ Authority and the TG4 Authority is long overdue. The involvement of a committee of this House in selecting members of the authority will result in a far more reflective authority and one that is efficient and responsive. As it is October and we approach the birthday of TG4 it is important to acknowledge the difference that station has made. The level and standard of programming on that station under tight budgets is fantastic. It regularly wins international awards in competitions across the world and it is a matter of pride for us to watch the station and how it has grown. It is a shame it does not yet operate on a commercial footing but it probably never will. The station needs to be supported and subsidised under the broadcasting fund. It is an investment in our culture and in independent film and television making in our country.

I welcome the commitment in the Bill to introduce an Oireachtas and film channel. Let us not kid ourselves that the Oireachtas channel will be popular. We live in a kind of bubble in this House and we seem to think the world revolves around us but it does not. That is possibly also the driving force behind the requirement on local stations to have a 20% news and current affairs element in their daily programming. For most, they do that as a matter of course and they do not think about it. However, for many of them, that is a commercial and creative challenge. That is especially the case at certain times of the year yet when not much is going on in the news cycle they are still under the cosh of providing it. We need to introduce far more flexibility into our interpretation of that 20% requirement in particular. We should not enforce our view of the world, as Members of the Oireachtas or local representatives, on the real world. That needs to be considered by the new authority.

There has been considerable coverage of what went on in this Chamber in the past two days. However, one should examine what took place in the committee rooms this morning. For instance, the Committee of Public Accounts had FÁS before it and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was discussing the farm waste management scheme, which is very important. They will not get any coverage yet what was going on in those committees will potentially have more impact on people's daily lives than what we were doing and getting all the attention for in the past two days. Whatever form of Dáil TV that emerges, it must incorporate the committees and their day-to-day work, which have more impact on people's lives than what goes on in this Chamber. That will probably present a creative challenge to whatever committee of the House is in charge of it.

The film channel is particularly welcome. In this country in recent years we have developed fantastic film-making skills but those involved have been restricted in terms of their access to market and the coverage they get. Giving the industry a home-produced channel on a non-commercial basis will provide a greater outlet for creativity and more support for the Irish film industry generally.

I concur with Deputy McManus's comments on the McKenna judgment. Most local radio stations, and radio stations generally, struggled with the implications of the McKenna judgment in their daily coverage of the Lisbon referendum. For some radio stations it meant they restricted the coverage of the referendum to one show during the campaign where they were in a position to line up speakers and give equal time to both sides of the argument, often in places where speakers were not available locally. Separate from the Bill, there is no doubt the interpretation of the judgment needs to be considered in a way that respects its democratic intent but that also has a practical implication.

Broadcasting is changing considerably. The advent of digital radio in particular will challenge all providers, both RTÉ and the independent sector. The competition that will arise will be particularly challenging to RTÉ, as people will be more inclined to change station when offered more choice. However, brand loyalty to the national station is evident. Nevertheless, listenership surveys indicate substantial and increasing loyalty to local stations. As policy-makers, we must protect that loyalty, which was won in difficult times in the last 20 years.

I wish the Minister well in bringing this legislation through the House. The new broadcasting authority will take on a broad remit and I wish it well in its role. It is the function of this House to ensure it delivers on its remit.

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