Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will individually state the legislative and policy requirements on RTE to provide services to the Irish community abroad; if he is satisfied in each instance with the provision of such services by RTE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45986/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Section 114(1)(f) of The Broadcasting Act, 2009 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 RTÉ 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 informed the Department that its plans to launch a Freesat service in the UK in 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.

RTÉ has indicated that this decision may be reviewed if circumstances change significantly in the future.