Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the service technologies being tested as part of the digital terrestrial television; if high definition television is being tried out as part of the DTT pilot roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21809/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has been examining future strategy for DTT roll-out and a DTT pilot is now under way, with infrastructure rollout to be completed by autumn 2006. The trial is planned to continue over a two-year time frame and will provide the opportunity for technical testing of both existing and new broadcast services.

During the pilot, the Department will plan and organise various user trials and demonstration transmissions aimed at showing the capability and usefulness of the DTT infrastructure. At a television service level, a move to DTT will allow for the provision of more channels and services to citizens and may also create possibilities for additional private sector investment and product offerings. A process is currently under way to determine what types of technologies will be included in the trial. The options being considered encompass a range of technologies, including high definition television.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if it is estimated that approximately 32 per cent of households here avail of analogue services as their sole means of receiving television broadcasts; if each television in a household will need to be converted to digital after analogue switch-off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21810/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Surveys by the Commission for Communications Regulation indicate that approximately 32% of Irish households currently receive free-to-air analogue services. Subscription digital television services are provided to about 42% of Irish television households, across both satellite and cable/MMDS.

My Department's core broadcasting policy objectives include seeking to retain access to a range of high quality programming in analogue and digital form, on a universal and free-to-air basis. In effect, this objective seeks a roll-out of digital terrestrial television (DTT), while the analogue terrestrial network continues to function for a period. My Department is developing a DTT pilot and as proposals for a national DTT rollout emerge, I will outline my intentions regarding possible dates for a switch-off of analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasts. Analogue switch-off planning will require extensive co-ordination between a range of stakeholders and a significant amount of public information provision. It will be important to ensure that Irish viewers are fully informed of all aspects of a future analogue switch-off, such as issues around reception equipment replacement. Viewers who switch to digital terrestrial reception will be required to obtain a set-top box.