As I pointed out at the joint committee during our useful exchange with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland two to three weeks ago, a local radio licence is a valuable and scarce resource. The entire country is covered by successful, well run, popular and commercially successful local radio stations. In rural areas, in particular, people feel close to and a sense of ownership of their local station. We, as legislators, must take account of the importance of local radio in the lives of the people we represent and to the general political and social life of the country. In that regard, the question of the changing and granting of licences is extremely important. I agree with the Minister that it should be an independent power awarded to an independent body, but the main issue which arose in our deliberations was that of an appeals mechanism against the decisions of an independent power.