Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the possibility of the promised diaspora channel going ahead in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10503/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Section 3(1)(b) of The Broadcasting Act 2007 requires RTÉ to establish and maintain a television broadcasting service and a sound broadcasting service, which services shall be made available, in so far as the RTÉ Authority considers reasonably practicable, to Irish communities outside the island of Ireland.

In this regard, RTÉ has reviewed the potential for providing these services over different media, including via the Internet and on the UK Freesat service.

RTÉ is proposing to pursue and expand access to its programming via the Internet, and has highlighted that this will be available to the Irish abroad. However, RTÉ has informed the Department that its plans to launch a Freesat service in the UK in early 2009 have been postponed. RTÉ has indicated that this decision was made as a result of the economic downturn, which has adversely affected RTÉ's commercial service, and is part of a necessary cost saving exercise being undertaken by RTÉ this year. RTÉ has indicated that this decision may be reviewed if circumstances change significantly in the course of the year.