Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The Oireachtas committee has an interesting and new task in proposing members to the RTE broadcasting authority and TG4. The power to propose rather than oppose is a significant power and I hope it works.

Senator Joe O'Toole made points about setting out the type of process. I would not disagree with the sentiment he set out in his comments, that it would be better to try to get consensus on this rather than it being a vote mechanism. With regard to the job description, the Bill contains the actual job description. The role of the agency is set out in detail so if I was offering a job description, I would photocopy the relevant sections and give them to any candidates. That is what the Bill does.

As regards the ministerial direction, it was inserted so the members of the committee would be assisted in their deliberation on the mix. Everybody knows the type of mix we will be seeking. It is a mixture of legal, financial, employment and possibly disability interests. I do not wish to be specific but there should be a mix of the different interests involved. Hopefully, the process for doing that should be easier given the staged way provided for, whereby the Minister indicates to the committee the appointments he or she intends to make first, and the committee can propose the people to fill the remaining vacancies to provide for a balanced board.

As to whether there are public or private sessions, that is a matter for the committee. There is a case for having people who will hold such positions answer questions and set out their vision in a public forum. That would be an interesting and welcome addition. However, the details of that are a matter for the committee. It will have to be reasonably quick because once the Bill is signed by the President the time lines begin. There are very serious broadcasting issues at present. It is a very difficult time in the broadcasting sector with commercial revenue decreasing, the development of the web and so forth. There is a range of serious issues that require consideration so this board must be in place and working very quickly. I did not hear anything today with which I would disagree in terms of proposed mechanisms and I look forward to addressing the Oireachtas joint committee directly as we go through the process.