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 improvements in reception of national broadcasting services.
RTE informs me that it has carried out exhaustive tests in the area referred to by the Deputy but was unable to find a solution that would provide television reception at a reasonable cost. RTE informs me that the main difficulty in the area concerned is the lack of a receive signal suitable for retransmission, except up high on mountains where there are no roads and no electricity.