Vol. 560 No. 1
122 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the progress made to date in implementing the recommendations made in the report of the Forum on Broadcasting; the plans he has for a new broadcasting authority; if it is intended to introduce a customer's charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1813/03]
Following consideration of the recommendations of the Forum on Broadcasting and of submissions received on its findings, I announced a comprehensive programme of measures to be implemented that will result in a fundamental reform of public service broadcasting in Ireland. Some of these measures will be implemented in the immediate future, while others will take a little longer.
One of the key recommendations of the forum was that there should only be one content regulator for Irish broadcasters. I concurred with that recommendation and the Government agreed to my proposal to establish a new regulator – the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – that will have responsibility for content regulation and for the independent broadcasters currently licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland as well as RTE. New legislation will be necessary to give effect to the decision to establish the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and to the establish RTE as a commercial state company. Work has commenced in this regard.
In the short-term other measures will be implemented. For example, I will shortly initiate a public consultation on a draft charter for RTE and RTE's statement of commitments for the current year will be agreed. In the first quarter of this year RTE is committed to finalising its new code of fair trading practice and to the appointment of a process auditor to its independent production unit. By the middle of the year, RTE will have established an audience council. I am also considering options for the introduction of the special fund for new, innovative and additional public service broadcasting in the period prior to the establishment of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
In the lengthy debate we had in the run up to the Minister's decision on the licence fee, it was noted by many commentators that every few years we seem to have a similar debate on the future of public sector broadcasting. Does the Minister think the programme he detailed, particularly the launching of a charter and a customer charter, secures the future of public broadcasting? Will we need to have this debate again in three or four years or more crisis discussions on the future of public broadcasting?
I agree with the Deputy – there has been a change of attitude within RTE in regard to the delivery of public service broadcasting and the commitments it made as a result of the licence fee increase. As I said on a previous question, RTE has been very quick to respond to some of the key issues. My Department officials and I will continue to meet RTE officials on a regular basis to ensure that its commitment will be fulfilled.
