Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 35 together.

The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides, consolidates and updates broadcasting legislation. Part 8 of this Act replaces and updates the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007, which provided for the development of digital terrestrial television in Ireland and for the closure of the national analogue TV network. Under the 2009 Act, RTE continues to have responsibility for the provision of a national free to air digital terrestrial television system with capacity to carry RTE 1, Network 2, TG4 and TV3. This new service will eventually replace the existing analogue terrestrial television service.

The legislation also requires the newly established Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, to provide for the development of commercial DTT services. The BAI, which is an independent regulatory authority, is responsible under the 2009 Act for the licensing and competition issues raised by the Deputies. In this regard, a competition for commercial multiplexes was initiated by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, BCI, in 2008 under the 2007 Act and is still ongoing. The contract has been offered to the One Vision consortium. The BAI has taken over the role of the BCI in finalising this competition. While I have no direct control over or function in these matters, I am concerned on policy grounds to see an early agreement on the provision of commercial DTT services and an early time path for the implementation of such agreement. My policy objective is the achievement of the earliest switch-off of the analogue system, thereby realising valuable spectrum to enable Ireland to reap the benefits of the digital dividend..

With regard to the roll-out of DTT services, I am informed by RTE that, to date, 13 sites have been DTT enabled to accommodate both the single free to air DTT multiplex and also three commercial DTT multiplexes. This represents the most difficult and costly element of the build plan, as it includes the main transmitter sites in Ireland. It also involves replacing several of these masts to accommodate the commercial multiplexes. With regard to the timing of the roll-out of the free to air DTT service, the legislation provides that RTE must provide a full national DTT service by the end of 2011 or such later date as I decide. RTE has not yet set a date for launching the free to air DTT service but has indicated a preference for launching in parallel with a commercial DTT operator as the availability of commercial DTT is important to assist RTE in getting a return on its investment and to ensure adequate viewer choice in the digital era.

Regarding the target date for switching off the analogue terrestrial television services, the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for me to establish a date or dates for analogue switch off, after consultation with RTE and the BAI, on, among other things, the availability of digital television services in the country, the availability of suitable televisions and other receivers and the take up of these services. I am in close contact with the BAI and RTE on progress in these areas. The European Commission has set 2012 as the timeline for analogue switch off throughout Europe and recent papers from the European Commission are requesting that member states should endeavour to adopt 1 January 2012 as the target date. I consider that it is in the best interests of Ireland to switch off the analogue services in 2012. In this regard, I have established a group to advise me on planning for analogue switch off and I expect to report on this in the first quarter of 2010.

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