Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to add a channel showing Oireachtas proceedings as a Saorview channel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43726/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Section 125 and section 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provide for the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the “Houses of the Oireachtas Channel”. This legislation provides that the channel should be established by the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas and that the oversight of the channel should be the responsibility of the “Joint Administration Committee”, a Joint Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas. The establishment of such a channel and its carriage on the Saorview platform would, of course, involve certain production and transmission costs and, in this regard, Section 126 of the Act amends Schedule 1 of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 to enable the Commission to fund the channel and to meet all expenses incurred in this respect.

In regard to the realisation of the Oireachtas TV project, I can confirm that I have recently received the report on the Oireachtas TV channel from the Houses of the Oireachtas and expect to meet the Ceann Comhairle shortly to discuss his plans in this regard. At this stage, I can confirm that space has been made available on Saorview should the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas decide that it wishes to proceed with the project.