Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

It is important for Ireland to have a strong national broadcaster. It should be well resourced and should have a well-regulated and modern regulatory framework. In addition, the emphasis should be on excellence in production, scriptwriting and diversity. Diversity is highly important because there is a great deal of competition from other channels and people enjoy wide choices. If Irish national television is boring and lacks a variety of programmes, people simply will not tune into it and consequently will be exposed to other cultures, a different broadcasting ethos and so on.

In addition, one consideration I am sure already has been mentioned pertains to the arrival of so many new Irish. I am unsure whether this Bill addresses the issues of diversity and the provision of programming that would attract the interest of the large communities of people in Ireland from Poland, China or the African nations. Perhaps this issue will be referred to subsequently.

From the outset, RTE has made an immense contribution. Although Ireland is a small country, RTE competes with and measures up to larger television networks throughout the world in respect of quality. Ireland has produced some great producers and technical personnel such as camera people and so on, over the years. As times are changing, Members must consider many new approaches to television and to getting across one's message to the nation. Hopefully this Bill will respond to those challenges. As there have been lengthy debates on this Bill in the Seanad and in this House to date, I will pick a few sections on which I wish to comment.

Section 42, for example, empowers the broadcasting authority to create additional broadcasting codes, including codes covering objectivity and impartiality in news and current affairs, as well as encroachments on privacy. This is a highly important section. Members should cast their minds back to the 2002 election, to what was one of RTE's dark days. It broadcast a television programme, "No Tears" just before the election, which featured as a central character the then leader of Fine Gael, Deputy Noonan. It did a great deal of damage to Deputy Noonan and to Fine Gael in the subsequent election.

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