David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak about this important Bill. While driving one evening, I listened to a radio programme on the use of debate by the ancient Greeks, who formulated their thoughts in their heads until the advent of writing. Socrates maintained that the act of writing changed the way he formulated his thoughts. This argument developed further with the invention of the printing press, the typewriter and the computer. All these developments help to change the way in which we formulate our thoughts and thus how we think. Broadcasting is changing as we speak, with the advent of digital platforms and so on. We are absolutely bombarded with information from all sides: television, radio, the Internet, iPhones and so on. Technology is advancing by the day. Somebody told me recently that there were only two types of computer: prototype and obsolete. Things are moving that fast. It is the same for all technology. We are talking about a very powerful medium which has the ability to influence our culture and how we think. It also has the power to change our outlook on life. Many now depend on the media, television and radio broadcasting in particular, in forming their views of the world.

More and more younger people are using websites such as Bebo and Facebook. I have children who are very adept at this, although we monitor their use as best we can. It is amazing that young people nowadays can communicate with each other in so many ways. In the past parents knew where their children were, who they were with and so forth, but now they are in their bedrooms and with their mobile phones could be talking to anybody anywhere in the world. It is similar for Bebo, Facebook, YouTube and other technologies. Because of this we face major challenges. It is not just television — there are other media too.

Almost every Deputy who has spoken so far in the debate and whose contribution I have read or listened to has alluded to the power of advertising where children are concerned. Advertising to children is a sensitive issue. In some countries there are codes for such advertising. This is something we need to debate in the House. In Australia matters are very advanced. There is a code called the Children's Code which states:

Advertisements to children must not mislead or deceive children; must not be ambiguous; and must fairly represent, in a manner that is clearly understood by children: the advertised product; any features that are described or depicted in the advertisement and the need for any accessory parts. Advertisements must not portray images or events which depict unsafe uses of a product ... [They] must not portray images or events in a way that is unduly frightening ... to children; and must not demean any person or group on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, age, sexual preference, religion or mental or physical disability.

In addition, under the code, advertisements may not undermine parental authority and prices, if mentioned, must be presented in an accurate way which can be clearly understood. If the advertisement is for a competition, it must contain a summary of the basic rules. The code also states:

Advertisements must not be for, or relate in any way to, alcoholic drinks or draw any association with companies that supply alcoholic drinks . . . [They] should not encourage or promote an inactive lifestyle ...

We need to discuss such issues in the House.

It is interesting to note that in the United States the Children's Television Act was passed in 1990 with the aim of enhancing television's potential to teach the nation's children. This brings me back to the influence of television. The Act requires each television station that offers children's television programming in the United States to serve the educational and informational needs of children through its overall programming, including programming specifically designed to serve these needs, or core educational programming. A central goal is to provide parents and other members of the public with greater information on educational television programmes. Television stations should be mandated to show a certain number of educational programmes specifically geared towards children. We all remember "Sesame Street" which was designed to help children who had problems with reading, letters and so on and was very entertaining, as well as educational.

There are a few provisions in the Bill that I welcome, including those dealing with community radio. There is a distinction between community radio and local radio. Community radio is important from the point of view of citizenship. We have heard a lot of talk from the Government and others on all sides of the House about active citizenship. Community radio is a fantastic example of this. It plays an essential part in generating interest and providing information on local events. It is not for profit — it is run by local people for local people. In my own area of Youghal, if I may be parochial, we have a fantastic community radio station on which many of us are asked to speak. People really enjoy this. I notice that 14 community radio stations are currently licensed in the State. I call on the Minister to encourage and support these radio stations. Part of the problem they have is finding a premises from which to broadcast. CRAOL, the community radio forum, plays an important role by providing advice and support and as a forum for community radio. However, I would like to see the Government take a far more active role in supporting community radio. I am not speaking of local radio which is a commercial venture. Community radio is run by local people for local people and is about local events.

Part 6 of the Bill revises the mechanisms governing the award of contracts and provides for a new definition of community broadcasting. It makes provision for temporary 100-day licences to be awarded to community radio stations. The problem is how to fund a premises from which to broadcast. This must be examined. If this help and support could be provided — it would take very little — we would see an explosion in the number of community radio stations across the country, especially in view of the 100-day broadcasting licences. The Minister has said this is designed to encourage the development of a much wider plurality of broadcasters, often working on a non-commercial community basis, which would be a major new step in broadcasting on this island. I welcome this and encourage the Government to move on with it.

Another welcome feature of the Bill is that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland will be charged with preparing rules for broadcasters in respect of access to broadcasting services by persons with a hearing or sight impairment. The Disability Act 2005 contains annual incremental targets for such content which public broadcasters must meet. Targets, however, are still relatively low as, unfortunately, television services here are not very advanced in these areas. I would like to see improvements in levels of accessibility, including subtitles, audio scripting, signing and so on. I know it is expensive and difficult, but it is very important for the people concerned. I encourage the Government to move on with this.

As I said, the Bill maintains the current system whereby television sets are licensed. As broadcasting technology advances on an almost daily basis, we are moving towards an age in which many people use PCs, laptops, mobile phones and other devices to watch television and there does not seem to be any consideration of this in the Bill. I am not saying there should or should not be, but we have had very little debate on the issue.

When we were dealing with the Copyright and Related Rights Bill in 2000, there was an issue to do with televisions in hotels. The question was whether royalties should be charged in respect of each television set in a hotel. A decision was taken at the time that this would not happen and it was written into the legislation. I note, however, that the Bill allows for a separate regime for television sets held at commercial premises to be set out in regulations. I read the Minister's speech and many others by Members opposite and do not think anyone alluded to this. My impression is that a television licence will be required for all devices capable of receiving a television signal. Thus, if one has a guesthouse or hotel with a television set in each room, is it the case that from now on one will have to have a licence for each one? That is how it appears. I ask the Minister to make this clear in his response, because it is not clear at the moment. Strangely, he did not allude to it in his speech.

I welcome section 39 which requires all stations to broadcast a minimum level of news and current affairs programmes. This is important.

The provisions for redress in Part 4 are crucial. The public complaints procedure avoids the courts, which is important.

I also welcome the provisions encouraging the production of home produced programmes by RTE and local radio stations. I stress that quality is important. Some colleagues have mentioned some excellent home-produced programmes. One person mentioned "The Clinic", which is aired on Sunday evenings. It is a way of highlighting many issues through drama. At the end of the programme a message is broadcast stating that if people are concerned about an issue raised in the programme they can contact a specified body for advice and support, which is interesting. I also welcome the establishment of audience councils.

I have often said that the establishment of an Oireachtas channel will not work unless we change procedures here. Yesterday we had the first meeting of the sub-committee dealing with Dáil reform. It was a positive meeting and I congratulate the Chief Whip on convening the meeting and being very positive and open. I encourage all colleagues to have an open mind on how we might change the way we do business in the House. While many things have been discussed over the years, very little has happened. With the advent of digital television we will be able to present ourselves possibly 24 hours a day to the people. The proceedings in committees, the Dáil and Seanad Chambers, and possibly local authorities, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the European Parliament will be available to citizens at the touch of a button. What they should see is interactive logical debate and discussion. If a Member on this side of the House asks a Minister to give way for a question, the Minister should not see it as a personal attack but rather should welcome such an intervention and answer it if he or she can. That is the kind of mindset we need to develop in the House. It would make it far more interesting and interactive for everybody.

I was very taken by Deputy Higgins's contribution. He is always very informative and entertaining. He said that the purpose of television is to educate, inform and entertain. He made the distinction between those who watch television as consumers and those who watch as citizens. There is a danger of broadcasting becoming very commercial. There is no definition of public service broadcasting in the Bill. I ask what is public service broadcasting. It is crucial to write that down. I return to what I said initially about the ancient Greeks. We should think about it first and then write down what public service broadcasting is. Many of us have an image that it is something good and wholesome and we should all have it. I would like to see a written definition included in the Bill.

I agree with what many colleagues have said about religious broadcasting. It is important to have freedom on the airwaves. However, as mentioned by Deputy English, there are many bodies that are dangerous, including various cults etc. We need to be careful not to open the door for those people. I also have concerns about tarot cards etc. Many people spend money on these so-called services and we need to be very careful in this regard.

There will be a cost involved in establishing an Oireachtas channel. Deputy Coveney mentioned a figure of €750,000 per annum for broadcasting alone, which is sizeable. In this day and age we need to be cognisant of costs. People are asking whether it will be worth it and whether we can afford to spend that much money on it. I understand a feasibility study is ongoing and we will have the report soon, shortly after which the decision will be made. It is important to have a dedicated Oireachtas channel. We need to engage with RTE in this regard. When we visited the BBC and reviewed what is done there we discovered that it cross-advertises the BBC parliamentary channel. The news programmes on BBC1 and BBC2 often remind viewers they can view the proceedings of parliament on the BBC parliamentary channel.

Full broadcasts are different from edited highlights, about which we would all be very sensitive to ensure everybody gets fair play. We need an editorial structure that is fair and it needs to be broadcast so that as many people as possible can receive it. While the digital platform should allow that to be done, the cost will need to be reviewed. Returning to what public service broadcasting is, I maintain that broadcasting the Oireachtas proceedings and local authority meetings is a public service and part of the licence fee should be ring-fenced for that purpose, otherwise it might be difficult to do.

How we think, see the world and formulate our thoughts is influenced by the broadcast media and the newer technologies that are gaining momentum all the time. Mention has been made of opinion polls. If opinion polls are published close to an election it can influence people who might believe that if that is the way it is going they should also go that way.

Bad news is always featured and good news is not highlighted so much. When we see pictures and hear stories of drug taking and violence among young people, the impression might be given that everyone is taking drugs and abusing alcohol, but that is not the case. The majority of young people do not misbehave. However, the impression could be given that they do and that the country has gone to ruin. There is a responsibility on broadcasters to ensure that in their code of conduct they reflect what is happening and show that the majority of young people are very responsible, good citizens, very bright, highly educated and know what is going on and are fantastic to engage with. We need more of that portrayed in the media in the hope that that role model can be taken on by more young people and not the opposite, which seems to be the case. Research from other countries indicates that if the negative is portrayed perpetually, people tend to go that way and believe that is the norm when it is not the case.

I wish the Bill well through its Remaining Stages. It is a very important and complicated Bill covering many important issues for us all.

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