Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister's pragmatic approach in this amendment. We were all agreed on Committee Stage that the provision whereby a person convicted of an offence relating to pirate radio activity would be unable to obtain a licence for up to three years was excessive. Our objective is to encourage people to move from pirate radio into licensed broadcasting. There must be a wrap on the knuckles in terms of a period in which a licence will not be granted, but 12 months is more than enough. Whatever legal sanctions may apply in terms of fines or imprisonment should be imposed as appropriate. However, banning such persons from applying for a broadcasting licence for three years defeats the whole purpose of seeking to shift talented broadcasters out of the shadows into the light. The reality is that many of our successful broadcasters and disc jockeys on well known licensed radio stations were pirate broadcasters in the past. Much of our broadcasting talent comes through that underworld.

This amendment represents a practical response in terms of seeking to remove illegal broadcasting from the airwaves and to encourage existing talent into licensed broadcasting. I welcome the proposal.

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