Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

-----I do not know the answer to that but now that the Deputy has raised it, I will examine it. I imagine that it comprises many factors. TG4 has its own culture, its own way of doing things and its own way of managing and staying within its budget. As the Deputy will know from what I have said, I do not believe its work is in any way inferior. On the contrary, I believe there is some very innovative programming on TG4. The Deputy might have been more generous about his constituency colleague, former Deputy Michael D. Higgins. I acknowledge the campaigning and agitating undertaken by Deputy Ó Cuív and Máire Geoghegan Quinn for TG4 but it was Michael D. Higgins who established the station when he was Minister in the Government in which the Ceann Comhairle and I also served. The vision has been delivered on since. Deputies Ferris and Collins have acknowledged that TG4 does a good job.

Deputy Ó Cuív has stated parents of Irish speaking children are not facilitated by RTE. My children speak Irish as well as they speak English and I wonder about the deficiency in RTE in the sense that there are deficiencies in children's programming in this regard. TG4 has embarked on what is undoubtedly a valuable exercise and I would like it to be imitated by RTE. It is a fact of life that TG4 seeks to reflect the culture of its audience's community.

Deputy Ó Cuív's contribution belied an underlying resentment of RTE with which I am not minded to share. The comparison he made with the position on the neighbouring island works both ways in terms of economies of scale. A country with 60 million people is able to contribute a level of resources for public service broadcasting that is simply not possible on this island. That has to be accepted. RTE has specific public service broadcasting objectives which are laid down by law. It is unlikely we would be to be able to enjoy Radio na Gaeltachta, Lyric fm and the RTE Concert Orchestra were they not supported by public service goals. The Deputy will be aware that the 2009 Act charges the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the task of reviewing how both stations meet their public service objectives, as well as the adequacy of funding. I understand the authority has completed one report, while a second is in progress and will be presented to me before the end of the year.

It would not greatly advance the narrow purpose of passing this legislation to follow Deputy Ó Cuív down every boreen in terms of broadcasting policy. He raised interesting points and I am more than willing to see what can be done to improve the postion. He believes too many panellists in RTE are drawn from the same stables and says they spend their mornings writing columns and the rest of the day regurgitating them on radio and television. He may have a point on the proliferation of panellists who do not appear to have anything more original to offer than a regurgitation of what is written in the morning's newspapers. I presume, however, that RTE will argue it does what it can within its budget.

In response to the criticism made by Deputies Collins and Ó Cuív of the outrageous salaries paid at RTE, I assure them the era of outrageous salaries is over.

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