Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

In amendment No. 147 I make the case that we would delete the section relating to the broadcasting fund, which states that the fund may not provide funding for programmes which are produced primarily for news or current affairs. News and current affairs programmes are continuing to make perhaps the most valuable contribution to public service broadcasting in Ireland. In RTE's case, it is generally accepted that the news and current affairs element is of a very high standard and the same could be said for TV3, which has made a significant effort to improve its news and current affairs programming, particularly late in the evenings.

It is a welcome development that not only does the public service broadcaster consider it part of its remit to do this but a commercial broadcaster like TV3 sees it as an attractive proposition to develop news and current affairs programmes in a way that would promote an increase in viewership. It has done that through news and current affairs programmes.

When considering the broadcasting fund as a pool of money, we should encourage independent production companies as well as established broadcasters to compete for it in making programmes. We must of course examine matters like nature, the environment, history, the Irish language and other issues abroad which would be of interest and relevance to the Irish population. We have the list just about right now after discussions, consultation and the Minister taking ideas on board and so on.

To prohibit either an independent company or broadcaster from making an application on the basis of an innovative, clever way of addressing current affairs or news is too limiting. The bar should be raised pretty high for a broadcaster to make the case to get funding in this category but to delete it altogether is wrong. We should be encouraging news and current affairs programmes developed by independent broadcasters in quirky new ways that will get a message across.

Irish production companies and presenters are particularly good at this. There is a series of Irish examples, including Dara Ó Briain and others like him, who have been very successful outside Ireland in addressing current affairs in a humorous or comedic way. We can see the kinds of projects developing at times which we should potentially support with the broadcasting fund. I would be opposed to an application, for example, from TV3 news to get funding from the broadcasting fund but we should not write off news and current affairs because we are happy with current content from RTE and TV3.

Whatever about news, current affairs can be addressed in new and clever ways that will attract a different audience, and this should be facilitated through the broadcasting fund. There should at least be an open door to applications in making that case. That is what I aim to achieve with this amendment.

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