Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I assure Senator Finucane and others that there will be a level playing field and that local community radio and television stations will get due regard. Ultimately, it will be the quality of programmes that will determine whether they are successful. That is the way we envisaged this from the start. Senators must understand that this is part of an overall package relating to increases in licence fees. I felt there were areas of broadcasting that, with the best will in the world, much of our independent sector were not addressing because, as Senator Mooney said, they are driven by commercial costs. While they provide a public service in their local communities – most Senators from rural areas acknowledge that – the Government and I felt they needed to focus on specific areas such as heritage, cultural diversity and the Irish language. It is correct to say we are restricted in what we can target in these areas as they are subject to EU directives. We are working under directives in the area of culture in this respect to allow us produce this fund.

The principle of the fund is not to provide a leg-up to any specific broadcaster. It is to provide additional high quality public service programming in certain sectors. It does not always follow that the more money a broadcaster has, the better the programme. Some of the most successful programmes have been produced on a shoestring. That is not merely a phenomenon in Ireland; it happens throughout the world. This is a genuine effort to try to engender some competition in specific areas of the public service. No sector will be excluded from applying for funding and that is how it should be.