Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

Is cúis áthais dom é deis a bheith agam páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht an-tábhachtach seo ar an mBille Craolacháin 2008. Is reachtaíocht an-tábhachtach é. Tá 165 leathanach, thar 13 páirt nó 181 roinn, sa Bhille. Tá Sceideal amháin ag baint leis an mBille freisin. Aontaím le móran den mhéid a dúirt mo chomhghleacaí ón Dáilcheantar Gaillimh Thoir, an Teachta de Búrca. Ní aontaím le gach rud, áfach. Aontaím freisin leis an ráiteas iontach a thug mo chomhghleacaí ón Dáilcheantar Gaillimh Thiar, an Teachta Ó hUiginn, inniu faoi chraolacháin RTE. Ar nós an Teachta de Búrca, bhí sé ag plé le cúrsaí raidió agus rudaí eile.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill, which is extremely important for the country and its people. The Bill is also important for the Legislature, which is being given the opportunity to put in place clearly defined rules and regulations that will define public service broadcasting and, it is hoped, broadcasting in general in Ireland for many years.

Raidió Éireann commenced operations in the 1930s and RTE began broadcasting television pictures in the early 1960s. The latter was a major breakthrough for the country, which was presented with an opportunity to expose all that is good and great about its people, traditions, culture and value system and its uniqueness as a nation. If one were to carry out a critical analysis, however, one would discover that our traditional value system and the great culture of our nation have not always been exposed in the way that they should.

I hope the new broadcasting authority of Ireland will interpret the provisions of the Bill in a way that reflects the views of those in this House who, in turn, reflect the views of the people they represent. When the relevant structures and parameters are put in place, I hope a level playing field will be put in place in respect of all broadcasting systems, corporations and agencies that are indigenous to the island of Ireland.

It is critically important that we go forward given that we live in a global age of mass communication, of instant opportunity to change systems and channels, to exploit the mindset of our children, young people, students and others. Through this Bill we have transferred to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, the editors, sub-editors, broadcasters and presenters the serious responsibility to ensure that we purvey and convey by way of broadcasting communication and technological devices only the best for our country and for future generations, and that reflects all that is good about our nation since its evolution over the ages, taking into account our heritage and the unique culture we are proud to espouse and that has had a major impact across the world.

This is a small country with an open economy, an island on the western edge of Europe at the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean. There are only 5 million people on the entire island of Ireland but across the world we have an Irish diaspora of 100 million who love Ireland, its traditions and its value systems and who are proud to carry the flag of Ireland in everything they do. Wherever our emigrants find themselves, there is an Irish nucleus and it is critically important that it is reflected in our broadcasting system as part of the enhanced and enlarged Irish nation whose emigrants have brought us great credit internationally in industry, sport, judiciaries and parliaments in different parts of the world. It is important, therefore, that we should have a broader vision of the responsibility broadcasting has in conveying to the masses across the world, in so far as it can be transferred with modern communications — there is no barrier now to communication from this Chamber or from any part of this country — the activities of our nation in all their diversity, its successes and challenges and the opportunities that present themselves that make us proud of our nation. It is not just for the people on this island, but more particularly our brightest and best who had to leave to sustain themselves and make their homes on foreign shores. They too should be able to have that broad vision and lateral communication that is so important for them. We can use broadcasting on television and radio as a medium that gives them a home from home atmosphere wherever they find themselves and whatever challenges they meet.

We need a new Bill. We need to reflect on the changes that have taken place in society and in our country. We need to take into account the diversity of our people, the multicultural society that now prevails, the dramatic increase in population. Twenty years ago we had a productive sector of approximately three quarters of a million people and the rest of the nation were dependent on those people to create the wherewithal and the resources to run this nation. That situation has been transformed as a result of economic success over the past 20 years. Today 2 million people are gainfully employed on this island. We hope that broadcasting and communication will continue to make an even greater contribution towards the sustainability to our country and pride in our nation, fulfilling patriotism in all its ramifications.

People have a duty not just to themselves, their families, communities and traditions but above all to this nation and this country. Broadcasting has a major role to play and it has not fully discharged that role. There are many challenges ahead. It is my hope that when this Bill comes before us and we tease it out during the five Stages of parliamentary debate, the Minister will be open to suggestions from all sides of the House so that we can pass a strong, well worded, textually correct, legally powerful instrument that will assist the broadcasting industry and assist us as legislators and citizens as we go forward together in the knowledge that we have the confidence as a nation to carry ourselves at the highest level of international opportunity and international challenge, and that we have the confidence as a people to face any challenges there may be, financial or otherwise, irrespective of whether they are on this island or elsewhere. Together, with good leadership, consolidation, coherence, focus, and positive communication from all our broadcasting organs, we can build a nation not just for this generation but for many future generations, and discharge our responsibilities as Members of Parliament so as to leave a better country when we leave Parliament than we inherited when we entered. That is the duty of every generation, not only in politics but in society.

The broadcasting industry and the broadcasting organs have a serious responsibility to ensure they are inclusive, that they take into account diversity and different interests. It must also take into account the common good and ensure balance in society and in communication and a reflection of our sporting, industrial, urban, rural and other traditions. It must reflect the views and wishes of all our people, taking into account strong interests in particular sectors of society, particularly aspects of culture. I do not believe that balance has been properly struck. I hope this Bill will ensure balance in the future and that as we go foward together we will discharge our responsibilitties as legislators, taking into account the advice that is available, our experience and collective wisdom gained in this House from representing the people in our constituencies, constantly inspired to serve them with the knowledge that is transferred to us by those people, by our experience as individuals, family members and citizens, and by the experience we have gained as Members of this House, whether in Parliament on Oireachtas committees or in Ministries in which we have been privileged to serve over the years.

Tá sé an-tábhachtach go gcuirfimid an-bhéim ar an Ghaeilge, ár dteanga náisiúnta. Is í an Ghaeilge, an seoid is luachmhara atá ag an tír seo. Molaim an Teachta Ó hUiginn as ucht an éacht iontach a rinne sé nuair a bhunaigh sé TG4. Chuir sé airgead ar fáil don staisiún. Rinne a chomhghleacaí as iarthar na Gaillimhe, an iar-Theachta Máire Nic Eochagáin Uí Chuinn, an-obair freisin chun na saoráidí sin a fhorbairt sular ainmníodh an Teachta Ó hUiginn mar Aire. Mar Aire, chabhraigh an Teachta Ó hUiginn go mór leis an ealaíon. Tá sé tábhachtach seans a thabhairt do dhaoine éagsúla, daoine óga ina measc, a bhfuil scileanna speisialta acu. Ba cheart dúinn béim speisialta a chur ar an ealaíon. Ba chóir dos na craoltóirí éagsúla seans a thabhairt do ealaíontóirí óga ag cuid oibre a chur os comhair an phobail. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go mbeidís in ann na scileanna, nósanna agus intinní iontacha atá acu a chur faoi bhráid na ndaoine. Tá súil agam, mar thoradh ar an reachtaíocht seo, go gcuirfí béim níos fearr ar an ealaíon sna blianta atá os ár gcomhair amach, pé deacrachtaí a bheidh i gceist. Tarlóidh sé sin nuair atá an Bille sínithe ag an Uachtarán agus i ngníomh mar dhlí na tíre.

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