Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

371. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when Oireachtas TV will be broadcast by Saorview. [39659/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The availability of Oireachtas TV on SAORVIEW is a matter for the Oireachtas in contract with RTÉ who owns the SAORVIEW network.

Chapter 6, sections 125 and 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 make the necessary provision to allow the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the “Houses of the Oireachtas Channel” on the SAORVIEW TV network. 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 Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas may enter into such contracts as are necessary to establish and maintain the Houses of the Oireachtas Channel. In this context, I should mention that 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.

RTÉ has built, owns and controls the SAORVIEW TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ. RTÉ has informed me that the network build has cost €70m and that there will be ongoing operational costs associated with the delivery of the SAORVIEW service. All broadcasters availing of SAORVIEW will pay their fair proportion of the associated costs.