Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the proposed new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to be created under the new Broadcasting Bill will have the power to regulate RTE; if his attention has been drawn to the recent opposition voiced by the current RTE Director General to allocating such powers to a revamped Broadcasting Commission of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19892/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Work is continuing on the development of legislative proposals that will form the basis of a new broadcasting Bill.

The priority issues to be addressed by the legislative proposals are: the establishment of a single content regulator for commercial, community and public service broadcasters; the establishment of RTE as a company under the Companies Acts 1963 to 2003; the provision of a statutory mechanism for future adjustments to the level of the television licence fee; and the development of the right of reply mechanism, allowing persons whose reputation and good name have been damaged by an assertion of incorrect facts in a television or radio programme to gain redress.

It is intended that the proposed single content regulator will combine the existing regulatory functions of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and the RTE authority, as recommended by the Forum on Broadcasting, and as such will play an important role in the regulation of RTE.

I note that in its submission to the Forum on Broadcasting in 2002, RTE accepted the need for independent monitoring of public service broadcasting and welcomed in principle the establishment of a broadcasting authority.

I understand that the concerns recently expressed by the Director General of RTE centre on the recognition by any new regulator of the specific public service remit of RTE.

My intention in framing the legislative proposals will be to ensure that the broadcasting regulatory environment recognises this remit and continues to encourage the parallel development of high quality broadcasting by Irish public service, commercial and community broadcasters.