Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

): On behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, I thank the Senator for raising in the Seanad the issue of the availability of Irish television services in Northern Ireland in the context of the switchover to digital terrestrial television services.

The development of digital broadcasting is an imperative at an international, European and national level. Throughout the world countries have agreed that traditional analogue broadcast services will no longer be protected from interference after 2015. Within Europe there is widespread agreement that all analogue broadcast services will cease by 2012. This provides an opportunity for Ireland to upgrade its terrestrial free-to-view television services from analogue to digital and, while so doing, seek ways in which to provide greater access to the Irish public broadcast services throughout the island of Ireland.

It is important for Ireland to upgrade to digital terrestrial television services for a number of reasons. Analogue networks are becoming increasingly obsolete and expensive to operate. Digital technology is essential in order that our broadcasters can continue to compete with commercial broadcasters. Digital terrestrial television, DTT, is more spectrum efficient and versatile than the analogue television service. DTT can provide more services for television viewers. These include more television channels, more radio channels, electronic programme guides and even HDTV services. Because DTT is more spectrum efficient - it can provide eight television channels in the same amount of spectrum as one analogue television channel - spectrum in the television frequency band can be reallocated to other services such as broadband or mobile broadband services. This provides a digital dividend which has the potential to provide a significant economic benefit for the country.

The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for RTE and TG4 to provide their broadcast services, in as far as possible, throughout the island of Ireland. In addition, the Act provides for RTE to build and operate a free-to-view digital television service as a replacement for the current analogue service. This service must at least provide space for RTE One, RTE Two, TG4 and TV3. The RTE free-to-view digital television service is due to launch to 90% of the population by 31 October.

In developing plans for digital terrestrial television services in Ireland the Minister was cognisant that the United Kingdom was also upgrading its television services to digital and, in particular, that the Northern Ireland switchover is planned for the last quarter of 2012. In this regard and in order to provide for a co-ordinated approach to the analogue network switch-off on both sides of the Border, the Minister's officials entered into discussions with their United Kingdom counterparts. As a result of these discussions, a memorandum of understanding was signed jointly by the United Kingdom and Irish Governmendts on 1 February, the purpose of which is to provide a mechanism for co-operation between the Governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom in providing a framework for the transition to digital terrestrial television services and the analogue network switch-off; to provide for TG4 to be carried in Northern Ireland on the digital television network and to provide an opportunity for RTE to be transmitted within Northern Ireland and for the BBC to be transmitted in Ireland. The provision of BBC services throughout Ireland is a commercial decision for the BBC, as, unlike RTE, it does not have a mandate to provide its services throughout the island of Ireland. In regard to TG4, the memorandum of understanding draws on the Belfast - Good Friday - Agreement 1998 and the 2006 St. Andrews Agreement which provided for the availability of TG4 throughout Northern Ireland on the analogue network. The memorandum of understanding provides for TG4 to be carried on the digital network in Northern Ireland. In regard to RTE, the memorandum of understanding commits the two Governments to seeking to find a technical and cost-effective solution to the provision of RTE services throughout Northern Ireland.

Since it was signed, officials from the two Governments have continued to meet and work together to provide for full implementation of the memorandum of understanding. The most recent meeting took place in March and a further meeting is planned for May. The meetings are examining practical ways in which the memorandum of understanding can be used to provide for a smooth transition from analogue to digital television services across the island of Ireland and how best to provide for RTE and TG4 services to be made available throughout Ireland.