Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on public service broadcasting and incorporating the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Those who read the findings of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with regard to the presidential election campaign programme on RTE will welcome part of the report. The findings were as minimalist as they could have been. However, I find illogical the conclusion that the incident was not of sufficient consequence to merit an investigation. This would seem to be an abrogation of the authority's responsibility to ensure proper standards in public service broadcasting. I ask the Leader if this debate could also include the issue of the licence fee which I think generates in the order of €160 million. I wonder if today we need the paraphernalia of television stations and radio stations to be under the remit of the national broadcaster. Perhaps this situation should be rationalised. I would much prefer to see a situation in which Radio One or TG4 would become our national broadcaster and that the remainder of RTE would be privatised. This arrangement would require far less funding by the licence fee and the balance could be used on a programme by programme basis in the private sector. I have seen some excellent documentary programmes on the private television channel, TV3. In the case of independent radio, South East Radio is campaigning strongly on the unemployment situation in County Wexford and this is a commendable initiative. Such independent stations should be in a position to source funding to make good public service programmes which would facilitate and enhance public service broadcasting.

I have criticised in the past the fact that the BAI is constituted of former senior people in RTE and also people from the private sector, private production companies, who are dependent on RTE for revenue streams for their own companies. I look forward to seeing the BAI's findings regarding the Fr. Reynolds case. It will be as anaemic a report as we have seen in regard to the last episode, the findings on the Seán Gallagher case.