Dessie Ellis
Question:393. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources the efforts he will make to see that Saorview packages will start to include Oireachtas TV as standard. [43167/12]
View answerTuesday, 9 October 2012
Questions (393)
Written answers
Chapter 6, section 125 and section 126 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides the legislation to permit the development of an Oireachtas TV channel to be known as the Houses of the Oireachtas channel. This legislation provides that the channel should be established by the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas and that the oversight of the channel should be the responsibility of the Joint Administration Committee, a joint committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas may enter into such contracts as are necessary to establish and maintain the Houses of the Oireachtas channel.
Section 126 of the Act amends schedule 1 of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 to enable the commission to fund the channel and to meet all expenses incurred in this respect.
I have recently received the report on the Oireachtas TV channel from the Houses of the Oireachtas and expect to meet the Ceann Comhairle shortly to discuss it.
RTÉ has built, owns and controls the SAORVIEW TV network and is responsible for the roll-out, coverage and operation of that network. This is in accordance with Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides that the development of the RTÉ network is an operational matter for RTÉ. RTÉ has informed me that the network build has cost €70 million and that there will be ongoing operational costs associated with the delivery of the SAORVIEW service. All broadcasters availing of SAORVIEW will pay their fair share of the associated costs.