Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I thank the Minister for his response. I have great respect for him but I do not believe the arguments he has made in which he seeks to distinguish between the case for an Irish film channel and a Houses of the Oireachtas channel and a proposal, such as mine, for a heritage channel holds up. If I understand the Minister correctly, he seems to be saying that because the Irish Film Institute is somehow external to RTE and has an archive of its own and because the Houses of the Oireachtas is not located in Montrose and, therefore, is somehow in a different location, it is commendable or acceptable to require in legislation that those channels be provided and facilitated but because a heritage channel could be provided by RTE from its own resources or from drawing on resources from independent producers, that is somehow different. I do not understand that argument.

Has the Minister not already conceded the principle that legislators should be allowed to be specific? For example, the advertising of junk food is not left to the codes the same way as other issues are left to them. The Minister has been specific on that issue in legislation. He has conceded the point that legislators can be specific. What kind of philosophy of legislation do we have if we decide that bodies such as RTE have to be left to themselves to decide and that for legislators to intervene and be specific is somehow inappropriate? We are the elected representatives of the people. We are entitled to identify lacunae where they exist and to be specific and to say to RTE that it has not done something, that it might or might not do it in the future, that it might or might not be in hock to advertising interests and that it might or might not have a director general or staff who are very conscious of the needs of an ageing sector of society but that we will take the chance that it will do the right thing some time in the future. Is that not a very demeaning attitude to take to our Legislature? Why can we not be specific and prescribe that something should happen if we all agree it is a good idea?

I know the Minister is sincere in making the distinction that the Irish Film Institute has an external archive. I will go back to my original point. Logic should prevail here. The provision of an Irish film channel will appeal to a certain number of people. It will not particularly appeal to people who do not have a huge appetite for films or to those who do not have a long concentration span. I would watch it some of the time but there will be many people who will benefit from the provision of a day long service or, as Senator Paul Bradford said, a service for part of the day, which provides viewing that is inclusive rather than niche. Will the Minister reconsider even at this stage? This Bill will not pass through the Dáil before the summer recess.

I wish to address what Senator O'Toole said. I would be the last person who would want to promote anything construed as ageist. His example of his 93 year old friend is very well taken. What that example illustrates is that we should not presume that everybody's experience of life is the same. Some people will be very active into advanced years and they are the people who will be able to press the button and choose "Judge Judy" if they want to do so.