Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

As regards the first issue, we cannot force, nor is it the intention to force, broadcasters to apply or try to adhere to the criteria laid down in the legislation. I do not envisage, therefore, that the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland will actively canvass some of the obsessively commercial broadcasters, as the Senator described them, notably the pop radio stations, to focus on this element of the legislation. Minimum requirements with which broadcasters must comply under the licence are in force. This provision will apply only to those broadcasters who wish to get involved in this area by providing additional programmes of the nature outlined.

On the issue of archiving, the rationale behind this aspect of the Bill flows from the forum report and its comments on the dearth of archiving, particularly in the independent sector. We do not want RTE to halt its current archiving activities and apply for funding under this section to continue with them. One can take it as read that this will not happen.

On the question of making archives available on the Internet, RTE places a significant amount of its archives of specific programmes on the Internet. When agreeing to the licence fee increase, I was particularly insistent that the excellent RTE website be maintained as part of its public service remit. I would not be averse to allowing and trying to promote archiving on the Internet. However, this involves a number of small, local and community broadcasters who would not have the wherewithal to maintain a website to the standard that would be required. It might also hoover up any of the funds that might be available to them. I do not wish to be overly prescriptive in this respect.