Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2004
78 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the amount currently in the programme fund established under the Broadcasting (Funding) Act 2003; the payments made out of the fund to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25635/04]
View answerThe Broadcasting (Funding) Act 2003 provided for the establishment of a fund to support certain television and radio productions and projects out of an amount of 5% of net receipts of television licence fees and in accordance with a scheme to be administered by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, BCI. The Act provided that the 5% of the net proceeds from television licence fees would be paid into the fund with effect from 1 January 2003. To date €14.3 million has been paid into the fund.
The BCI has drawn up a draft scheme and recently completed a public consultation on that draft scheme. In accordance with section 2(1) of the Broadcasting (Funding) Act 2003, the BCI must submit the finalised scheme to me for approval following which I will lay the scheme before the Oireachtas. I expect to receive a proposed scheme from the BCI in the next few weeks. Any scheme is likely to require State aid approval from the European Commission. As a scheme is not yet in place the BCI has to date made no payments from the fund.
The BCI has submitted a proposal to my Department in relation to how the scheme should be administered, including a proposed staffing structure and my Department at present is examining this proposal.
I reiterate that the BCI has responsibility for drawing up the scheme, inviting proposals and making awards from the fund. I have no role in proposing the detail of the scheme or who receives funding.
