Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The contract negotiations were a matter for the consortium and RTE, and for the consortium and the BCI. I regret that the negotiations were not successful, that they were protracted and that they did not lead to an outcome. Since that failure became apparent, the BCI has been determined to proceed to a successful outcome. It has set tight deadlines to see whether other consortia are interested. At least we have a positive situation in that other consortia have said of their own volition that they are interested and they are entering contract negotiations. I do not want to set a timescale for that other than to say I expect it will be a short period of months rather than a long one.

It is in everyone's commercial interests to get out there with a service that still has a viable future in Ireland, as it does in every other country in Europe. Without taking a line on one platform or means of providing the service versus another, I believe the option of digital terrestrial television has a future and that the Irish public will use it. It is up to the commercial companies involved to decide on the contract arrangements.

There is an issue about the loss of spillover that will occur later this year when the UK switches off its analogue system. I have been particularly concerned about that, which is why I put time pressures on everyone on the issue. This is a technical issue, but I understand there still will be a certain amount of digital spillover, albeit not on the scale of the analogue spillover.

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