George Lee (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the trial digital broadcasts Dublin residents were able to pick up on digital televisions will be reintroduced in view of the delay in the roll out of digital television; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44435/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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A trial of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) services was operated by my Department between August 2006 and August 2008.

The aims of the trial were, amongst others: · To provide information to broadcasters about the benefits of DTT; · To identify and resolve potential issues that may arise; · To make decisions on future technology choices for DTT in Ireland; · To highlight the advantage of the DTT service to TV viewers; · To provide for this in advance of DTT legislation. Trial receivers were provided to 500 participants throughout Dublin and County Louth.

Information on the trial, including trial reports, is available on the Department's digital television website www.digitaltelevision.ie. There are no plans to reintroduce the trial.

The Broadcasting (Amendment) Act, 2007, which was superseded by the Broadcasting Act, 2009, made RTÉ responsible for providing a free digital television service throughout Ireland as a replacement for its analogue network.

Legislation also requires the newly established Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to provide for the development of commercial DTT services. The BAI, which is an independent regulatory authority, is currently in negotiations with a company One Vision, to which it has offered a contract for the provision of commercial DTT services. While I have no direct function in these matters, I am concerned on policy grounds to see an early agreement on the provision of commercial DTT services and an early time path for the implementation of such agreement.

In relation to the rollout of DTT, RTÉ has made significant progress and continues to progress the rollout of DTT. The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that by 31st December 2011, or such later date as the Minister may decide, RTÉ must have a national DTT service in place. To date, RTÉ has DTT enabled 13 sites to accommodate both the single free to air DTT multiplex and three commercial DTT multiplexes. RTÉ Transmission Networks Limited (RTÉNL) is conducting tests at these sites, including the sites in Dublin and County Louth that were used during the Department's DTT Trial. These tests include transmissions of the four national television services.