Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I want to ask the Leader and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Ahern, whom I welcome to the House, to bring to the attention of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the need to ensure that the national broadcaster, RTE, will improve the quantity and quality of the subtitling service it provides on television programmes. Everybody in the House is aware of people, whether family members, neighbours or members of the community, who suffer from loss of hearing. The provision of subtitling allows such people a better quality of life and access to television programmes they can understand.

I refer in particular to subtitling on current affairs and news programmes. I concede of course that news coverage and live broadcasts can be more difficult to rectify. However, the quality of subtitling on news programmes in particular is entirely inadequate. Presumably it is a question of resources, as regards provision of a better service. Given that RTE is the national broadcaster, however, in receipt of State funding via the licensing system, we should ask it to take on board the need to improve the subtitling of news and current affairs programmes. It would make a significant difference to the lives of many people and enable them to understand the content of programmes more readily. At present the subtitling on news bulletins is often 20 or 30 seconds out of synchronisation and that needs to be improved. I would be pleased if this matter were brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.