Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I am glad to be present to reply to this matter. I may not have all the details the Senator seeks, but it is right and proper of her to inquire on behalf of her constituents on the Inishowen Peninsula and raise the wider policy issue, on which she has been a strong leader, particularly in regard to the integration of communications systems, North and South. She has been right to persist in this regard. I regret that I was unable to come to the House sooner to discuss the matter with her.

The Government's stated policy objective is to achieve the closure of the analogue terrestrial television network by the fourth quarter of 2012. This means the smooth transfer from analogue to digital will be achieved by 2012. The closure of analogue television networks is happening on a worldwide basis. The deadline is mid-2015 but Europe has set 2012 as the deadline for the switch-off of analogue systems. We have to and will meet that deadline.

The closure of the analogue television network will free up spectrum to develop new business initiatives. It is anticipated that the lease of this spectrum could be worth in excess of €2 billion to Ireland and in these difficult economic times the Government wishes to ensure Ireland reaps the rewards of this spectrum at the earliest opportunity.

As outlined in reply to an Adjournment debate in the House last October, the analogue network is operated and owned by RTE Networks Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of RTE. It transmits RTE One, RTE Two, TV3 and TG4 for reception in households via rooftop or set top aerial. The network is nearing obsolescence and is being replaced by a new digital television network. The new RTE digital television service will provide space for the four channels and additional public service channels. In the event of spare capacity, it can be used by RTE on a commercial basis to offer carriage to other commercial television channels.

Last year, I signed legislation requiring RTE to launch its digital television service to approximately 90% of the population by 31 October 2010 and the service was launched on 29 October 2010. RTE has informed me it expects the national digital television network to be in place by the end of 2011. Power restrictions will be in place in some areas, however, until analogue switch-off occurs in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. In this regard, a co-ordinated approach to analogue switch-off between Ireland and Northern Ireland is essential. As outlined to the Senator in my letter of 15 December last, in preparation for the full national launch of Saorview in mid-2011, RTE Networks Limited, RTENL, is preparing the technical infrastructure and continues to work towards achieving a full digital television network for the population of Ireland.

From the period of 31 October 2010 to the end of 2012, both the digital and analogue TV services will operate together. This simulcast period of approximately two years gives TV households adequate time to upgrade to a digital TV service while ensuring the cost of operating the two services is kept to a minimum. My letter of 15 December also indicated that the analogue TV services in Northern Ireland are also due to be switched off at the end of 2012. In parallel with these developments, therefore, the memorandum of understanding, MOU, I signed earlier last year with the then UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Mr. Ben Bradshaw MP, will facilitate co-ordination around the roll-out of digital terrestrial television, DTT, and analogue switch-off with Northern Ireland.

The Good Friday Agreement and St. Andrews Agreement recognise the importance of the unique cultural and linguistic diversities that exist on the island of Ireland, and this MOU helps to promote and protect those diversities. The memorandum marked the culmination of a very successful period of co-operation on broadcasting issues between the governments of Ireland and the UK and its benefits will be manifold. It provides for co-operation between the Irish and UK governments to ensure, inter alia, North-South co-ordination on the digital switch-over public information campaign. This will help minimise confusion in the Border areas as the analogue switch-off date approaches.

The MOU also provides for the carriage of TG4 on Northern Ireland's DTT platform and facilitates the possibility of RTE being transmitted over DTT in the North and for the BBC to be carried in the South. While many viewers in Ireland and Northern Ireland watch the other country's free-to-air TV channels through overspill, perhaps most significantly the MOU allows the possibility of broadcasting RTE on an all-island basis for the first time in the history of the State. While the BBC has not engaged in the process for the delivery of free-to-air BBC services throughout Ireland and has no legislative remit to offer service to the island of Ireland, I am happy to report that both RTE and TG4 are fully engaged in the process we have set out.

Officials from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the communications regulators in both Ireland and the UK, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, RTE, RTE Networks Limited, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Northern Ireland Office have been meeting over recent months to agree arrangements for the carriage of RTE and TG4 in Northern Ireland. These meetings have mainly concentrated on the technical and spectrum planning issues, regulatory matters and the costs of carriage for RTE on the Northern Ireland digital TV network. I am pleased to report that much progress has been made and there is significant buy-in from all relevant stakeholders, including RTE, RTENL, Arqiva, which owns the TV transmitter sites in Northern Ireland, and Ofcom, the UK regulatory body. The two governments are pleased with the amount of progress made since the signing of the MOU in ensuring and expanding the provision of Irish television services, including Irish language services, in Northern Ireland.

Following a broad range of technical work, the two governments agreed at the end of December last that the most effective way to provide for the continuing provision of TG4 is by building a new, low power TV multiplex in Northern Ireland. In addition to carrying TG4, this multiplex, which will be part of the UK DTT system, will also carry RTE 1 and RTE 2. It is hoped this will increase further the coverage of these channels in Northern Ireland, enabling approximately 90% of the population in Northern Ireland to receive their services on a free-to-air basis, either through overspill as before or via the new multiplex. The existing analogue signals will be switched off on a co-ordinated basis in Ireland and Northern Ireland at the end of 2012 and much more work needs to be done between then and now to keep the public informed of progress in this regard.

With regard to analogue switch-off in quarter four of 2012, as the Senator can appreciate, the technical and spectrum planning aspects of analogue switch-off require in-depth discussion and technical considerations of transmission both North and South. These discussions are ongoing but all parties are keenly aware of the timelines and are working together to ensure a co-ordinated analogue switch-over process which will provide a clear roadmap to secure a smooth analogue switch-off process for Irish citizens in Border counties.