Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Stanley for giving me a few minutes of his time. My side of the House has adequately put the case during the debate. I was in my office meeting a deputation from my part of the country which had an issue, but I was following on the monitor Deputy Penrose's passionate contribution and, boy, does he put every effort into it.

As Deputy Penrose and the Minister, Deputy Naughten, know, I worked in this business for 20 years and promoted Irish music. I want to remind people in the Gallery because some of them might not realise this that I did more than anybody in this House to promote Irish music and song. Many of those in the Gallery know I played their records and they did not have to ring me to ask me to do so. I played their records because I have a belief in this business. I know more than most that this business is under pressure. We may not agree with this Bill but this side of the House has done more for Irish music than those on any other side of this House. We brought in local radio and local radio throughout this country has given a new platform to Irish country music, traditional music and, indeed, to new Irish rock bands. Stations like Shannonside and Northern Sound, for which I used to work, cater for all that type of music, and up to almost 40% of their coverage deals with different strands of Irish music. Stations like Midwest Radio, LMFM and Midlands Radio 3 have all done Trojan work for this business.

With due respect to Deputy Penrose, the problem with this Bill is that it will not deal with the national issue, and that is where the problem lies with national stations. I can show the Deputy a number of letters I have on my desk from the bosses of radio stations saying that this Bill is not workable and that they do not want it. I do not believe that going down the road of quotas works in any walk of life. It has failed in other areas and it will fail in this area. I know the Deputy is passionate about this and that he wants to do the right thing but I must remind him that a Bill was brought forward by the Labour Party when his party was in government in 2014 and the Deputy's then Labour Party Minister, Alex White, would not support it. Am I correct in that?

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