Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The question of the utilisation of satellite space allocated to Ireland under international agreement arose during my tenure as spokesperson for Communications. I raised with the Minister at that time, the former Deputy Jim Mitchell, the question of the allocation of Ireland's satellite location to a company called Atlantic Satellites, which was a link between the Hughes Corporation in the United States and Mr. James Stafford, who is well known in the context of the Flood tribunal.

Deputy Mitchell agreed to give this tremendous opportunity to a company with no investment or previous experience and thereby excluded RTÉ and then Telecom Éireann, now Eircom. I raised the issue because I believed a golden opportunity was thrown away by the Minister. His reasons for granting such a valuable asset to a company with a £1 shareholding have never been explained to me. I questioned his decision at the time and now I question it again.

I ask the Minister of State to outline what has happened since that decision was made. Promises have been made and broken. Between 50 and 60 jobs were promised for Shannon but were not delivered. RTÉ lost an opportunity to broadcast into the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, ahead of Sky Television, from a position allocated to Ireland above the Indian Ocean. What has happened to this valuable asset?

This issue has not featured in the media for many years. A golden opportunity was lost to RTÉ. The company could have been ahead of Sky Television and many of the present operators in this field in providing satellite broadcasting. I question the decision by the former Minister and I hope the Minister of State can clarify what has transpired since then in the Department.

The latest information I have on the issue dates from 1988 when Deputy Richard Bruton put down a question to the Minister, Deputy Ray Burke. At that time the Minister had no option but to grant a one year extension to Atlantic Satellite because a commitment had been entered into by the previous Administration.

Why has this serious issue been excluded from the Flood tribunal? The decision of the Minister, former Deputy Jim Mitchell, to afford this Irish asset to Atlantic Satellites, a £1 shelf company linked to the Hughes Corporation in the US, must be questioned. A marvellous opportunity to provide satellite broadcasting to Ireland, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe – the most lucrative market at the time – was lost to the State.

I do not know what information the Minister of State has at her disposal and I will respond when I hear her reply.