Joe O'Toole (Independent)

It is appropriate for the House to note the extraordinary and unfortunate death of Ms Máire Buckley, who contributed so much to Dublin's inner city educational development and battling the effects of social exclusion and underprivilege. Over the weekend, she was unfortunately killed by that tearaway bus. The House has often debated the need to recognise the work of those involved in inner city schools, hospitals and other social services. It is great, even under these unfortunate and extraordinary circumstances, that Máire Buckley's contribution is well recognised. She worked tirelessly in the area over the years. Anyone involved in education, politics or community work in Dublin inner city could not but know her. The circumstances of her death raise one's anger and hackles but that is for another day.

Over the past few days, the might and mass of the State has been brought to bear on the housebound who cannot attend mass or services. They are generally aged people who receive a local radio broadcast of mass and religious service from their churches. They are, however, being treated as villains and those providing the service are being criminalised. ComReg has ordered the broadcast services to be stopped as they are interfering with air traffic control. This kind of action gives politics a bad name.

Although ComReg has an important function to ensure the airwaves are protected, it must also be recognised that the airwaves are the people's property. In every regulation governing the airwaves, free access for ordinary people has always been provided through citizens' band, short-wave radio or various forms of VHF channels. It would be better for ComReg to approach this issue in a positive way to support local communities which wish to provide these broadcast services. I am not making a case for the Roman Catholic Church. Normally, I would be having a go at it but this is an important social service for housebound people who find themselves isolated and lonely.

I have discussed the matter with ComReg over recent days. It has assured me that it will introduce regulations and guidelines to enable these broadcast services to continue. I accept that any interference with air traffic control must be stopped. The reality, however, is that these services do not interfere with aviation frequencies, as their transmitters are not powerful enough to do so. A quick resolution must be reached. When the legislation on broadcasting transmission was passed, it was with the idea that certain aspects of the broadcasting spectrum would always be available to people on a community level, such as citizens' band broadcasting, various VHF channels or licensing of local community broadcasting. If local churches have to be empowered in that manner, then so be it. I recognise the difficult job ComReg must do. I am not one to be running to the Joe Duffy radio show which has carried this story over the past few days but has been misinformed on several aspects of it. Nonetheless what ComReg has done is unacceptable and it should now ensure local communities are enabled.