Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which by way of legislation innovative technology or agreement is expected to provide a full range of live broadcasts to the Irish diaspora; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5446/07]

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his preferred options for the development and the provision of the full range of Irish broadcasting services at home and abroad, whether by satellite or other means in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5425/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 145 together.

As the Deputy may be aware, RTÉ's statutory mandate, as defined in Section 28(1) of the Broadcasting Act, 2001, provides that RTÉ's radio and television services shall be made available, in so far as is reasonably practicable, to the whole community on the Island of Ireland. As such RTÉ's statutory mandate does not extend to the provision of radio or television services to Irish communities living in Britain or elsewhere. As a consequence RTÉ may not use the proceeds of the television licence fee to provide such services.

However, many people living outside of the island of Ireland do enjoy access to a considerable quantity of RTÉ's television programming by way of the Internet, and to RTÉ's radio services by way of satellite, LW and MW and the Internet. In the light of the recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on Policy regarding Emigrants to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the draft general scheme of the Broadcasting Bill as published in September 2006 proposes to amend the public service remits of RTÉ and TG4 to allow for the provision and public funding of broadcasting services to Irish communities in Britain.

Given the scale and scope of the draft general scheme of the Broadcasting Bill, and ongoing work under the eConsultation initiative, the Government decided to extract and progress this small element by means of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006. The Bill as drafted entrusts RTÉ with the task of considering the most appropriate technological means of addressing the needs of Irish communities abroad.

In addition the Government, having finalised its legislative proposals in relation to the development of digital terrestrial broadcasting services in Ireland, decided that such proposals should also be incorporated into the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 which was published in December 2006 and is currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas. I propose to introduce the Broadcasting Bill into the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2007 in the light of the outcome of the eConsultation process.