On this particular Estimate, the financial position can hardly be regarded as satisfactory in the real sense of the word, for the simple reason that this Department depends absolutely on the receipts from the revenue derived in the first instance from licences—those who pay licences to enable them to listen-in— and, on the other hand, from the revenue derived in the shape of the tariff of 33? per cent. on the importation of parts. The favourable position of this particular Department, as it appears in the Estimate, depends therefore absolutely and entirely on the number of users and the amount of supplies or parts imported. It could very easily turn out that in any particular year, even this year that we are estimating for, if there was a cessation of importation of component parts or sets, or if a number of people refused to renew licences, that Department would be a losing Department and its maintenance would fall immediately on the shoulders of the taxpayer.
I have no quarrel at all with the idea of licensing; it is quite desirable that every user should be licensed; and there is no objection as far as I am personally concerned to the collection of the tariff, because it is certainly a luxury and it would be unfair to tax the community generally for the luxury of a section. We must realise, however, that the people who pay for the upkeep of this Department, and on whom the upkeep of it depends, should receive consideration, detailed consideration, when they have complaints to make, or when there is any demand for a change in programmes and so forth. They pay the licence of 10/- and the balance of the money comes out of what is derived from the collection by the Customs. The position, therefore, is that they pay the piper but they are not in a position to call the tune.
The Dublin station, it is agreed, radiates its programme over an area of forty miles from the city and the Cork station over a radious of fifteen miles. Outside of those areas it is very hard for people to get any proper reception. The whole population within those areas is round about 750,000 people.
If you take the 750,000 people in these areas you will find that, in comparison with any other country, small or large, the percentage of people listening-in is very small. There must be some reason for that. In the first instance, I contend that one reason for it is that the programme itself is not made interesting enough. There is a keen demand for more news, ordinary news, market reports, weather reports, and so on. There is also a demand for all kinds of daily reports of events that take place within our own Twenty-six Counties. Recently, Belfast broadcasted the doings of their Show. We never broadcasted either the Spring Show or the Horse Show. These are important events, and they were never broadcasted. Other Deputies have pointed out that the programme requires a little change, and it has also been pointed out that outside of the areas that I have spoken of, it is very hard to get reception.
I would like to hear from the Parliamentary Secretary some hopeful promise that in the immediate future steps will be taken to have either a change made so that people can listen-in throughout the whole of the Twenty-six Counties, or that there is going to be some change in the programmes themselves. I would also like to know from the Parliamentary Secretary if he can state if he has any idea as to how much of the fee collected for the licence is retained by the Postal Department itself, and how much is actually credited to the Broadcasting Department. I would also like the Parliamentary Secretary to tell us what are the sources of foreign news. We sometimes have programmes relayed here. For that reason I would like to know what are the sources of foreign news. I have received certain commuunications in which I have been asked to ask if there are many women employed in this Department who have husbands living, in good positions, and well able to support them. I again ask if the Parliamentary Secretary is in a position to tell us when he hopes to have the service so arranged that there will be a better programme at the disposal of all the citizens of the Saorstát who desire to listen-in.