Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if funding is available from the State to community radio stations here. [2709/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, in recognising the huge benefits of community radio for large population centres such as Lucan, and the high costs of accommodation in urban areas, if he will examine mechanisms to provide special start-up funding for a radio station (details supplied) in addition to that available under the community radio support scheme in order that a suitable premises can be identified as early as possible, in recognition also of this station's fund-raising efforts. [2729/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together.

My Department does not have any funds at its disposal to assist private radio stations with their capital or operational costs and I have no proposals to introduce public funding of this nature. Under the broadcasting funding scheme, all radio stations licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland will be able to seek access to public funding later this year to assist with the cost of certain radio programming.