The issue of access to RTE television in Northern Ireland is one on which the Government places particular importance. I am confident that greater availability of RTE television throughout Northern Ireland would make a significant contribution towards the creation of better North-South awareness and understanding and in this way assist in the process of reconciliation between the two parts of this island. I also believe that it would contribute to greater understanding between the two main traditions in Northern Ireland.
The Irish Government's objective of greater access to RTE television in Northern Ireland is shared by the British Government.
The Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference established a bilateral Broadcasting Group comprising officials and technical experts to examine the issue of RTE television reception in Northern Ireland. That group identified that the most significant improvement in the short-term could be achieved by increasing the power from the RTE transmitter at Clermont Carn in County Louth.