Rónán Mullen (Independent)

His son is a Fine Gael councillor. However, I think he likes to hear from me.

I observe with interest my parent's programming tastes. The point is that research needs to be done. We owe it to older people not to make assumptions about what they like. We should require our broadcaster to do the necessary research to ensure they get what they like in terms of a programming diet. The merit of these amendments is that they understand that broadcasters are operating in a commercial environment and that there is, therefore, a great temptation to move away from public interest considerations towards purely commercial considerations. This is the basis for these amendments.

I note what Senator Norris eloquently said about former Senator William Butler Yeats. Yeats did not, based on some of his poetry, go gently into old age. I would like to think were he here he would see the point of these amendments. I remain hopeful that the Minister will introduce on Report Stage a provision that has regard to the needs, interests and tastes of older people.