Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I understand the Minister's point about ring-fencing a certain portion of the fund. Regarding Senator Quinn's point, I was giving a rural example as I come from a rural location which makes me cognisant of the rural scene. I have also been lobbied on the urban scene. Regardless of whether community radio or television is urban or rural, I want to ensure it gets off the ground and survives financially. It was in that spirit that I tabled the amendment, suggesting that a certain amount should be ring-fenced.

What concerns me is that if we leave it until the scheme is in place, we will have very little input after it is passed by the Dáil and Seanad. The Minister is asking us to accept something with a great sense of vagueness. I ask the Minister to state specifically that in the case of this funding he will be favourably disposed towards the community radio and television concept.

In the report of the Forum on Broadcasting, which I read at length, and also the Minister's commitment to it, I became aware that a senior person in the Minister's Department did not want this 5% development in the first place, which is worth bearing in mind. It is also worth bearing in mind that RTE did not want 5% of the overall licence fee diverted to this particular mechanism. If the senior official had reservations about the 5% input under the Bill and if the advice given to the Minister today has come from the same source, I am entitled to be very doubtful about the position of community radio and television under the Bill. There is no point having a broadcasting forum and discussing the themes of culture, heritage, historical issues and buildings we want to encompass if they are sidelined. In terms of local input, we have all experienced that the best contributions are often made on local community radio.

Independent radio stations have a track record of survival, shown by the large fees that have been paid for them. Many of those commercial radio stations exist on the basis of commerce and making a profit. If they make a generous profit and have a licence for a period of time, they are ripe for take overs. In that situation, the people involved originally – one might say good luck to them for taking a chance – will go off with millions of euros of profit.

The spirit and intent is for a certain percentage of current affairs and news, but the main theme of many of these commercial radio stations is programming for the 20 to 35 age bracket. The music played is chosen with that in mind. The themes of the Bill, in terms of spirit and intent, can best be achieved by the community type of radio, whether it is local or urban. While I understand that the Minister cannot ring-fence two thirds of the funding, I would like reassurance that despite the concerns expressed by RTE and his senior official, the Minister is serious about his intention, when matters are finalised, to proceed with the development of community radio and television.