Vol. 480 No. 6
416 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands when television reception will be restored to the Briska area of Bangor Erris, County Mayo, in view of the fact that the people have paid their television licences and are entitled to a proper service like everybody else and they have had no reception since early July 1997. [14239/97]
The issue raised by the Deputy is the day-to-day responsibility of the RTE authority and I have no statutory function in the matter. However, in accordance with long-standing custom, I am prepared to furnish to the House information supplied by RTE in response to questions relating specifically to improvments in reception of national broadcasting services.
RTE informs me that it has assisted in the establishment of a community owned self-help scheme in order to make good quality television reception available to the people of the Briska area of Bangor Erris, County Mayo. RTE states that it assisted the scheme on condition that the local community would pay the ongoing maintenance costs. RTE reports that the local committee is aware that it is necessary to arrange for the transmitter to be repaired in order to restore reception.
