Vol. 515 No. 4
148 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the approxi mate financial return from the sale of the RTE transmission service to a private operator in view of her recommendation in this regard; if the sum raised will be re-invested in the broadcasting sector; and the specific areas to which this investment will be dedicated. [6376/00]
Under the terms of the Government decision of July 1998 on the arrangements for the introduction of digital terrestrial television, DTT, to this country, it was envisaged that the transmission function would be separated from RTE as a going concern and that the entity thus created would be mandated to build and operate the DTT infrastructure. The Government decision provided that RTE would retain an equity stake in the new DTT entity and that the proceeds of the sale of the transmission business would be used to fund RTE's equity stake in the new DTT entity.
It was envisaged that RTE's stake in the new DTT entity could be up to 40% and that if the proceeds of the sale of the transmission network exceeded what was required in this regard, it would be a matter for RTE to decide how to use such funds.
As was indicated during the adjournment debate in the House on 23 February 2000, the development of a transaction process that meets the objectives of the Government decision and other legal and technical requirements has proved difficult and I have sought the observations of other Ministers on a possible way forward following which I will bring the matter to Cabinet for decision. It would be inappropriate for me to speculate on the outcome of the Cabinet's deliberations.
