Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1546. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he is taking to ensure access to television broadcasts for deaf persons; if he has considered measures to provide subtitles on as many television programmes as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31460/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has statutory responsibility in this area and I have no function in this matter. Under Section 43 (1)(c)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 2009, the Authority must prepare and, from time to time, revise rules with respect to the specific steps each broadcaster is required to take to promote the understanding and enjoyment by those who are deaf or have a hearing or visual impairment of programmes transmitted on any broadcast service provided by the broadcaster.

The Access Rules include provisions for subtitling, captioning, Irish sign language and audio descriptions. The provision of subtitling is then a matter for individual broadcasters in accordance with the Access Rules, with which all broadcasters within the jurisdiction of Ireland must comply. Compliance is monitored by the Authority.

In 2014, the BAI launched a public consultation on proposed changes to rules governing the levels of subtitling, sign language and audio-description that Irish television broadcasters must offer to the public. The consultation ran until 23 July and sought responses from the general public, representative groups and broadcasters. The BAI Access Rules were then launched in January 2015. These rules set out yearly and increasing targets for subtitling, audio description and Irish sign language across a number of television stations.

The Authority advises that complaints regarding subtitling are directed in the first place to the relevant broadcaster if one is dissatisfied with the manner in which a broadcaster is complying with the Rules. Information on such issues is obtainable from the BAI and from its website .