Brendan Kenneally (Fianna Fail)

He is off again. RTE already has a remit to broadcast and is already doing this on long wave. However, the Minister of State agreed — and Senator Norris is correct in saying this suggestion came from all sides of the House — that he would include it in the legislation. The Minister of State came forward with the amendments on Committee Stage, as agreed by the House.

The Bill is not concerned with digital radio mondiale, DRM, versus digital audio broadcasting, DAB. It is not technical legislation as such. It enables RTE to do certain things as regards television and now radio. The Minister of State quite clearly made the point on Committee Stage that if this were to be included in the legislation, it would basically force RTE or whoever into broadcasting only through one particular mechanism. I am not sufficiently technically minded to be able to say which is the correct one. None of us knows whether in two, three or five years' time any of these systems might be obsolete. However, if we stitch it into the legislation now, we are stuck with it. It would mean the legislation would have to be changed again to be compatible with the technology of the day. That is the point the Minister of State was making, above all else, on Committee Stage, and I believe the legislation would be better if it were left out.