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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 15 Jul 1965

Vol. 217 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Master TV Aerials.

49.

asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state with reference to the desire of Dublin Corporation and its tenants to erect master television aerials for corporation flats, what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Dublin Corporation; whether his Department objects to such aerials; and if so, why; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

My Department's policy regarding communal aerials was discussed with representatives of Dublin Corporation in December, 1961, and there has been no further discussion or correspondence on the matter with the corporation since then.

Communal aerials, like "piped" television, involve the relay principle. There is no official objection to the erection of small communal aerials which are intended to serve the residents of a single block of flats or of a single building or of not more than ten adjacent houses. My Department is also prepared to license large scale communal aerials and "piped" television services subject to the condition that external television programmes will not be relayed. The revenue earning capacity of the Irish television service could be seriously affected if relay services distributing external television programmes were freely permitted. It was, therefore, decided that, at least until such time as the Irish service has firmly established itself and shown its capacity to repay the large investment of state capital in it, this condition should apply to large-scale relay systems.

Is the Minister aware that what Dublin Corporation wants to do is to put master aerials on blocks of flats rather than have the rooftops and chimneypots festooned with innumerable aerials? Will the Minister be frank and say what obstacles his Department have set up against the provision of these master aerials?

I have just told the Deputy. We do not object to aerials serving the residents of a single block of flats, or of a single building, or of not more than ten adjacent houses, but when very large aerials are erected to serve blocks of flats, one gets to the stage where those aerials are capable of receiving programmes from outside the country and we are not going to allow these aerials which will go into competition with our own service.

Is the Minister aware that the effect of this is to penalise tenants in Dublin Corporation flats and to give an advantage to tenants in houses because they can get programmes other than the canned stuff from America which is given out by our own station? Is the Minister suggesting that the canned stuff is superior to what can be obtained from other stations?

I am suggesting that the programmes on Irish television can be superior to what you are likely to get on other channels.

The whole idea is to keep the viewers listening to Fianna Fáil propaganda.

And to victimise the poor of Dublin.

Keep them ignorant.

(Interruptions.)

He will have an awful job convincing his constituents. Everybody thinks the Minister for Finance, Deputy Lynch, attacked the Taoiseach.

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