Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Broadcasting Act was passed last year and one aspect of it concerns paying for the regulation of local and national radio through a levy imposed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. That is not unusual — it is regular and correct that those being regulated should pay for regulation. However, following the most challenging year in the history of broadcasting, with a reduction in the budget of RTE amounting to €80 million, staff cutbacks and cutbacks in costs, where measures had to be taken to remain in business, it is beyond nature, beggars belief and is completely unfair and inexplicable that the authority has issued a levy to increase costs for local and other radio stations. This order was issued in the last week of January and either of the Houses of the Oireachtas have 21 days to annul it. I ask the support of the Leader and his party in recognising that it if this goes through it will lead to more job losses and cutbacks at local level for local radio and national radio. This is inexplicable, unfair and unacceptable and we should take a stand to recognise what is happening on the ground. I ask for the views of the Leader on this. The Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is discussing it and it is the view of most committee members, including Government members, that this should be put on hold. The only way this can be done is by annulling the proposal. I will be proposing a discussion on this issue on the Order of Business next week.

We should have a debate on the first item on today's Order of Business, although I do not object to it. This is reducing three quangos and nobody objects to that. The House should know that the functions of these quangos must be done somewhere else and this must be explained. The public is under the misconception that one can cut back on quangos and everything will continue. This is like not answering phones or not doing something else. Someone is not receiving a service if everything that was done is not being done now. I do not object to what is being proposed and I will support it eventually but there is the issue of having it explained to the House. We are now dissolving the National Economic and Social Forum and the National Centre for Partnership & Performance in the dissolution order. I do not object to this. The functions will be taken over by the National Economic and Social Council and this must be explained and debated. I will go along with it but I would like time to debate the matter.