I move:
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £46,203 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1940, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí eile a bhaineann le Fóirleatha Nea-shrangach (Uimh. 45 de 1926).
That a sum not exceeding £46,203 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1940, for Salaries and other Expenses in connection with Wireless Broadcasting (No. 45 of 1926).
The amount of the Estimate for the broadcasting service for the financial year 1939-40 is £69,303, a reduction of £5,256 on the provision for the current year. The amount required for broadcasting plant under sub-head F is less by £8,985, due to the inclusion in the 1938-39 year's estimates of an exceptional amount for the installation of an experimental short-wave station at Athlone. There was also capital expenditure in 1938-39 for improved engineering apparatus in the studios. The reduction of £8,985 is offset by increases under other sub-heads, mainly under sub-heads A and B in respect of additional staff and increased performing right fees respectively. The revenue of the service for the current year will amount to approximately £110,000. The revenue for the coming year is estimated at £113,500, made up of £78,500 from licence fees and £35,000 from advertisements and miscellaneous receipts, showing an increase of £3,500.
The total expenditure on broadcasting out of all Votes in the current financial year will amount to approximately £93,000. The revenue for the year thus shows a surplus over expenditure of approximately £17,000. Commercial accounts for broadcasting are not, however, prepared, as in the case of the Post Office, so that in estimating the true financial position of the service, it is necessary to allow, in addition to the Vote expenditure, for the annual charges—interest, depreciation, etc., on the capital expended on the provision of stations and studios. If full allowance were made for these items, the service would show a deficit instead of a surplus. The number of wireless licences has been increasing steadily and satisfactorily during the recent years. The increase during the past 12 months was about 10,000. Special action is still being taken for the detection of licence defaulters.
A development of particular interest during the past year was the installation of the experimental short-wave station at Athlone. Test programmes are at present being transmitted and arrangements have been made to obtain reception reports, but it is not yet possible to say when the station will be in regular operation.
The recent acquisition, with the approval of the Dáil, of a site at Exchequer Street, Dublin, for the purposes of a broadcasting building marks a further important step forward. Plans for the new structure are under consideration. Meanwhile, owing to the expansion of the service, additional studios and offices are being made available in the General Post Office.
The improvement, and the need for further improvement, of the programmes have made it necessary to increase the establishment by a talks officer, a full-time news officer, and a third announcer. A whole-time engineer of senior rank has also been allocated to the service.
Three public symphony concerts were arranged for this season in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. Two of these have already been held but, I regret to say, the attendance at them did not come up to expectations. The position in regard to public concerts during the preceding season was similar. If greater public interest in the performance is not manifested it will be a matter for consideration whether it is worth while continuing them.
A public concert devoted entirely to Irish music was given recently—on St. Patrick's Night. There were new compositions and arrangements by Irish composers, large choirs, a céilidhe band playing properly orchestrated Irish dance music, an augmented orchestra. The public attendance was lamentably low, and offered a very poor encouragement to those who initiated this development.
The use of Irish in the programmes has been extended, and an Irish news bulletin is now a regular feature.
The programmes for schools have again been improved, and the greater interest taken in them is reflected in the increased number of schools, which now include them in the curriculum. It is estimated that about 700 primary schools now take the programmes as compared with 400 last year.
There was considerable interference on the Athlone wavelength from other stations during the year, and while, as a result of representations made in the matter, the nuisance abated somewhat, it has not yet been entirely eliminated. An international conference for the redistribution of wavelengths to European broadcasting stations is, however, at present being held in Switzerland, at which this Administration is represented, and it is hoped that the national station will be freed from interference as a result.
From the outline which I have given of the last year's activities, it will be apparent that appreciable progress has again been made in the development of Irish broadcasting. The service, by its nature, is particularly open to criticism, and comparison of our programmes with those of foreign stations is inevitable. While, however, we cannot hope to compete along certain lines with the larger broadcasting organisations which have vastly greater resources of all kinds, I think it may fairly be claimed that, on the whole, the programmes sustain a high level of interest and attraction and that they are framed with due regard to national, educational and artistic requirements.
