Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will bring forward measures to facilitate the provision of digital radio in its DAB and DRM formats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34354/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Across the world broadcasting services are moving from analogue to digital platforms. The pace of change in the case of television is faster than radio. In some instances, radio services are now often packaged with digital television services. Indeed, the pace of roll out and take up of digital television services has raised the profile of the analogue switch-off debate in Europe generally. The EU Commission has proposed 2012 as a suitable target date for analogue television switch-off.

Digital radio is available through a number of formats. Digital audio broadcasting, DAB, and digital radio mondiale, DRM, are two of those formats. Radio is now also available digitally via satellite, across the Internet and packaged with digital television services. DAB and DRM are available in a number of countries. There has been a significant roll out of DAB in the UK. Digital radio services offer an enhanced quality of reception for existing channels along with new channels and additional services, including text and multimedia.

There are significant challenges in the development of different digital radio platforms. Broadcasters, satisfied with existing broadcast standards, are reluctant to undertake significant costs in rolling out digital radio networks. Digital receivers are expensive and listener uptake has often been limited for this reason. A key decision for broadcasters and policy makers relates to what digital protocols should be used. DAB and DRM, for instance, are not necessarily technically compatible. RTE has conducted some DAB trials in the past and will be trialling DAB from Three Rock and Clermont Carn transmission sites early next year.

My Department is currently concentrating on planning a DTT pilot and developing proposals for a national roll out of DTT. It is expected that DTT will also include radio services.