Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach's predecessor, Deputy Bertie Ahern, gave a commitment to televising the proceedings of the House and its committees. Those of us who have been cavassing on the doorstep for the past couple of weeks realise that not alone is there an information deficit about the Lisbon treaty but also in respect of what happens here and at committee meetings. This stretches to people writing articles in newspapers who have no knowledge of what committees do. Will we proceed with televising the good work committees do? Many hours are spent there, yet nobody knows what exactly is going on. For example, last week the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service spent two and a half hours discussing with two professors the National Asset Management Agency. It was a very informative meeting in which there was good participation by committee members. We might as well have been sitting in private. When will we start to televise meetings as most other parliaments do? It would not cost a great deal of money. The cameras are here. There are 54 television stations available today. We might as well have 55 and at least give people the option of tuning in and arriving at a correct appraisal of what happens in both Houses of the Oireachtas. Will the Taoiseach please honour this commitment as quickly as possible?

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