Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I subscribe to the sentiments being expressed. Many of us received a letter from Cumann Lúthchleas Gael in Britain. It states:

Dear Senators,

Re: Broadcasting Bill 2008.

On behalf of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Britain and the wider Irish community I would like to express our thanks for the work you are all doing in the Oireachtas in highlighting the lack of reception of RTE Radio especially in and around London. This is a terrible loss especially for the most vulnerable of our community, the elderly, some have gone to the expense of purchasing new radios when the medium wavelength ceased now all they can receive in the evenings are foreign stations coming in on the long wave 252.

This is unacceptable in this day and age with all the modern equipment available we had to accept this type of reception when I emigrated in the sixties but hopefully not in this modern society when you can receive all types of stations worldwide but not RTE.

As Secretary I am being asked frequently is there anything that can be done therefore we are thankful for the pressure being put by your committee please keep up the good work and maybe someday we not alone will be able to receive a good Radio reception but RTE Television in our homes.

Your Sincerely,

Tadhg Meehan [runaí, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael].

It is a terrible indictment of public broadcasting that in 2008, someone who until recently was able to access radio and who emigrated in the 1960s now is being deprived of this facility because of a change, which I understand was implemented to make financial savings. While in general I am in favour of such measures, responsibilities also arise in respect of public broadcasting. I believe that given the technology available, one should ensure that people can keep some connection with events in their native country through the radio stations. When this fails, there is an obligation on Members to insist on it to the public service broadcaster, which is funded to a large degree by the population at large. Were one to poll the population, there would be strong support to use part of that funding to ensure the diaspora, in the closest country to us in particular, can access the radio stations. It also is imperative that this can be done using radio receivers. That is essential for people, whether in cars or elsewhere.

I refer to RTE's failure to point this out. Parts of the Northern Ireland are unable to access RTE radio, which is disgraceful. An all-island economy is being promoted in many ways and efforts are being made to cultivate co-operation and understanding between both sides of this island. Surely one way to so do is through the medium of radio. People can listen to BBC stations on their radios in this part of Ireland and it is incongruous that such access is not available. My question in this regard is whether the Bill under discussion is the appropriate way to deal with this issue, which is an operational matter. However, the Minister and the Department must be proactive in redressing what unfortunately has happened when medium wave transmissions were done away with and people were deprived of access to the national airwaves.