Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

The Minister should give the House a break. No one is arguing against regulation or standards. The Minister is establishing a costly body, although that is a guess because the Minister seems unable to provide us with even a ballpark figure of how much it will cost. Will it cost €7.2 million or €10 million? Broadcasters are on their knees. RTE and TV3 are struggling with large holes in their revenue.

If the Minister is talking about a referee on a football pitch, I am unsure whether he is in the real world. I imagine that at some point, he may be obliged to face the fact that an inability to pay scenario has arisen. At present, the Minister has not outlined how much this will cost. However, he has stated the burden will fall on the broadcasting sector even though everyone is aware that it is under ferocious pressure at present.

As for staffing this new body, will additional staff be taken on at a time when people are unable to gain access to special needs assistants, nurses or palliative care nurses? Will this happen or will a form of embargo be extended to this new structure? How many people will be employed, how much will it cost and what is the justification for levying the broadcasting sector? While I ask these questions of the Minister now, I suspect they will also be asked of him during his discussions with an bord snip nua. We now are in a different world and to carry on blithely as though another body simply could be created has a touch of empire-building about it.

Everyone desires standards in broadcasting and recognises the need for regulation, but that is not the issue. Such regulation and standards must be achieved in a cost-effective and efficient manner and the Minister is not reassuring Members in this regard, at a time when the public seeks reassurance that the Government is listening and taking on board the fact that we are in an economic crisis and cannot afford to continue with business as usual.

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