Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Dooley for sharing time with me. I wish to echo what my colleagues said earlier. I hope this is not a motion that has no teeth but that it will lend itself to the broadcasting Bill.

These stations cannot continue to exist without any funding. There is a serious obligation on us as legislators to ensure that we support the people who support our communities because they give their time to the communities day in and day out. Rural isolation is a significant issue. The only constant in some houses is the radio station and the link it creates. It is Galway Bay FM in the morning and Keith Finnegan's voice on the radio. People feel they are having a chat with the broadcaster and that they are at one with it. They are up to date with the news and the death notices. Radio stations provide a valuable service day in and day out, and we must not overlook that. They also make people aware and make them feel as though they are part of the hurling or football match. Although they mat be incapacitated or unable to attend, they feel very much included. Local, community and regional radio stations have significant value in rural life.

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