Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will make representations to the relevant United Kingdom authorities to ensure that persons living in Border areas can avail of free-to-air digital television pictures when the digital changeover is complete in the Six Counties and continue the availability of a service they have had up to now by virtue of the fact that they live in a Border area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5981/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The analogue TV services both in Ireland and in Northern Ireland are due to be switched off at the end of 2012 and my Department has been working closely with its UK counterparts to facilitate a co-ordinated approach on both sides of the border in respect of the roll-out of digital terrestrial television (DTT) and analogue switch-off. In this regard, in February 2010, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the then Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the then UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding is available on www.dcenr.gov.ie.

The aim of this Memorandum is to facilitate, on a cross-border basis, a smooth transition to digital switchover in Northern Ireland and Ireland. In particular, the Memorandum provides a basis for making available the Irish public service channels (TG4, RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2) in Northern Ireland and for ongoing cooperation between the two jurisdictions in relation to spectrum coordination, information sharing and, to the extent practical, adopting a coordinated approach to the provision of information to the public on both sides of the border on the switchover process. In accordance with the objectives of the Memorandum, my Department, along with ComReg, the BAI, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and RTÉ, is continuing to engage with the relevant UK Authorities on all of these issues and this work will continue until after the digital switchover process has been successfully implemented on both sides of the border.

In relation to channel overspill from the Northern Ireland network, this issue comes within the scope of spectrum co-ordination and, while the precise broadcast parameters of the North's DTT system will ultimately be a matter for the authorities in that jurisdiction, it is understood at this stage that the level of channel overspill of the DTT system will be similar to that of the current analogue system.