Vol. 481 No. 7
129 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the current position regarding the application by a company (details supplied) for a licence for the provision of a service in their area, in view of the fact the company applied to the Department for Stage I and paid their fee in June 1997; when the company will be allowed to apply for Stage II; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17188/97]
The licensing scheme to which the Deputy refers was proposed by my predecessor shortly before the change of Government in June 1997. However, no regulations were made to establish the scheme at that time.
The legislative position is that while I have a policy role in relation to the allocation and use of radio frequency spectrum, the legal power to issue licences to television deflector operators pursuant to section 5 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926 was transferred, with effect from 30 June 1997, to the Director of Telecommunications Regulation appointed under the Telecommunications (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1996.
Accordingly, it is a legal function of the director to address the question of licensing such systems and I understand that all applications submitted under the proposed scheme are now with the director.
I also understand that the director has initiated a study into this issue and intends making a decision in regard to licensing such systems following consideration of this study.
Regulations required to give effect to any licensing scheme for television re-transmission systems which may be proposed by the director under the 1926 Act would statutorily be subject to my consent.
