Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he will take to ease the effects of the close down of analogue television in Wales on Counties Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow and Dublin; the time-scale of this impact; his views on the consequences of this signal shutdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14651/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The UK has a schedule to switch off analogue TV in different regions from 2008 to 2012 in favour of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). Analogue TV services in Wales, for instance, are expected to switch off in 2009. In the development of a switchover plan, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) is working closely with its UK counterpart to ensure the continued protection of analogue TV in Ireland. Notwithstanding, it should be noted that as the UK switch-off of analogue TV progresses, reception in some Irish homes will be affected because Irish terrestrial analogue TV viewers will no longer be able to receive overspill of UK channels. Viewers on cable and satellite will not be affected by these changes.

In Ireland the development of DTT is well under way. The Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007, provides for RTÉ to develop a public broadcasting DTT service with space to carry RTÉ, TG4 and TV3. In addition, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland is currently running a competition to provide commercial DTT services. In these circumstances it is expected that Irish digital terrestrial services, providing a significant range of television services, will be available in the south east of the country in 2009. Digital terrestrial services will offer more to viewers in terms of digital quality pictures and sound, more services such as programme guide information and more channel content.