Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

-----because the development of digital terrestrial television is a crucial area. It is crucial because the switch off of analogue transmission services in 2012 gives us a major economic opportunity to switch on a range of broadband and other services we can use in that spectrum. What I have said to people in the broadcasting area is that this is a crucial economic development for the country and one we will achieve. That is the reason that provision is in the Bill in terms of recognising we are on a path towards analogue switch off.

The advantage of the system we have in terms of the procurement process the BCI was engaged in is that there was a number of different bidders and because the first bidder, for its commercial reasons, was unable to progress the contract, the BCI had to go to the second bidder. That process is in train and I am confident that DTT will be delivered here. It may be slightly delayed but it is on track to allow us make the switch off I mentioned our key target date.

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