John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to share my time with Deputy Clune.

I am glad to have an opportunity to contribute to the Broadcasting Bill which, in general terms, is welcome. We badly need to catch up with the rapidly changing world of broadcasting.

There were two defining moments in Irish broadcasting: the setting up of the RTE television station which broadcast for the first time on New Year's Eve in 1961 and the birth of local radio stations in 1988. Both events changed the face of Ireland. The power of the broadcaster to shape public opinion and influence the direction of our lives was firmly established. We are now facing even more rapid changes. Modern technology provides a multitude of challenges and opportunities that must be met head-on if we are to have the necessary matching legislation to regulate the process.

It is to be welcomed that the Bill suggests one authority for broadcasting, replacing the RTE authority and that of TG4, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission. The reform in the method of appointing the board is a welcome development, but I support Deputy Coveney's view that it does not go far enough. Each appointee should be able to demonstrate his or her competence, objectivity and fitness to perform the functions required. Deputy Coveney went into great detail on how this should be done, but I will say only the change goes some of the way but not far enough.

Rather than go through the Bill from A to Z, I will refer to a few points of personal interest in the area of broadcasting. The switching off of the analogue transmission in 2012 and the oncoming of the digital era in television and radio will have positives and negatives. The introduction of the Oireachtas channel and the film channel has been mentioned. On a recent visit to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs by our counterparts from Northern Ireland concerns were raised about this change. I believe the public are not aware that in 2012 people in the Northern part of our island will need to pay for the reception of the RTE and TG4 channels. Likewise we will need to pay for the individual BBC and ITV channels. People should know more about the matter which should be teased out by the North-South Ministerial Bodies well in advance of 2012. From our perspective the availability of RTE and TG4 channels and radio stations to our people in the Northern part of the country is vital and also an important aspect of cultural life up there.

The control of junk food advertising is a good move. I have no doubt the glamorisation of junk food on our television screens particularly at times when there is a large young audience has played a major part in the increase in obesity in our young people. In some respects it may be bad that they spend too long watching television in the first place. However, encouraging them to eat the wrong kinds of foods is another thing. The authority to do that need not be contained in the Bill. As previous speakers have said, perhaps it should be regulated by the broadcasting authority. It is an issue that needs to be addressed.

There is also need to review regulations for alcohol advertising. This subject has been debated in the House on many occasions and this is an opportunity to do something about it. Just as the junk food advertisements need to be banned or regulated strictly during children's programmes the times of alcohol advertising need to be strictly controlled. For instance, drinks advertisements should not be connected with sports broadcasts particularly if the events involve people at under-age level. It is totally contradictory to give the impression that the high level of commitment, discipline, fitness and training achieved by these people can be linked to the alcohol products that are advertised or might even be sponsoring the programme. The sports organisations have rightly been criticised for accepting alcohol sponsorship for major events. However, these advertisements may be linked to the sports events being broadcast, which needs to be stopped and here is an opportunity to do so.

I will comment briefly on the section in the Bill setting up the broadcasting fund at 5% of the licence fee. As Deputy O'Flynn mentioned, independent broadcasters are constantly complaining of not getting a slice of the licence fee. Local radio stations, for instance, in the guise of independent and community radio, are providing a wonderful service to their areas. They are very close to the community and the people feel they can gain access to the broadcasters. The Gay Byrnes and the Michael O'Hehirs of the 1960s and 1970s in our neck of the woods are now the Tommy Marrens, Joe Finnegans, Willie Hegartys and Mike Finnertys of today. They are the people identified with at local level. They can work alongside our national broadcasters and in many ways provide a different type of service.

While I accept the independent radio stations are profit-making organisations, in some way it is a two-way process. Funding could be given to them by providing them with part of the licence fee revenue, which should ensure they provide programming in areas such as documentaries which they do not do at the moment. Sometimes on these stations the same person reads the news, the death notices, weather forecast and then does a sports commentary. Quite often the same person will also do some of the advertisements. That area should be considered. Nobody could imagine Ireland surviving without these local stations and community broadcasting stations. Particularly in rural areas, they provide a social service for the people as much as everything else.

While I am handing out plaudits, I compliment the former Labour Party Minister, Deputy Higgins, on establishing TG4 some years ago. The decision was truly visionary. At the time nobody could have understood the role it would play. From my involvement in sport I know the role it plays and the wonderful programmes it produces on a shoestring budget. Every weekend over the winter it broadcasts two or three GAA matches. It has coverage of tennis from Wimbledon, which has been abandoned by the national channel. It also broadcasts Eircom League soccer matches — I am not promoting the GAA over the others. I am talking about the service and how the people feel about it. It has done more for the Irish language in a way the community did not expect. I would be concerned over the packages handed out by the sporting organisations to it. I hope it never gets to a stage where it cannot have access to them because I do not believe any other station could provide the service it does.

The Bill overall is welcome and contains many good points. However, it needs fine tuning which I hope it will get along the way.

See this speech in context