Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The committee is perfectly entitled, Deputy Collins, to engage about the application in question, which I understand the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is investigating. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, clearly has a view on this matter, as does the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. While the timescale may be tight, members of the committee are fully entitled to engage with and interact publicly on this proposition with the bodies to which the Deputy referred and anybody else. However, it should be clearly understood that there is a process here and that this process is under way. Submissions to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland must be made in the next short period and the BAI will make its view known on these submissions. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment will have to oversee what emerges from that over a certain period. I do not want to pre-empt the recommendations, views or analysis of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland arising from the committee's discussions and the submissions it receives in the next ten days or so.

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