I propose to take Questions Nos 446 to 448, inclusive and 464 together.
Community radio stations in Ireland are funded from various sources, including funds derived from donations, advertising and sponsorship.
Additionally, the non-profit community radio stations receive a significant amount of publicly funded support from the Broadcasting Funding Scheme, one of the specified aims of which is the development of local and community broadcasting by providing funding for the provision of high quality, diverse and innovative programming by community broadcasters. This Scheme is currently funded by way of a set proportion of net television licence fee; I expect that a similar funding structure will apply following the introduction of the Public Service Broadcasting Charge.
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is assigned responsibility under Part 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 for the administration of the Scheme.
Section 158 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that the BAI shall every three years review the operation, effectiveness and impact of the Broadcasting Funding Scheme, and make a written report to my Department. In April 2012, following a tender process the BAI engaged Crowe Horwath as independent Consultants to carry out the required review. The resultant Report addresses the impact, effectiveness and operation of the Scheme as well as including key findings from a stakeholder consultation and rightly recognised the important contribution of community broadcasting to Irish society. This Report was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 November 2013.
EU State Aid approval of the existing Scheme terminates at the end of this year and, in anticipation of this, in November 2013, the BAI issued a consultation paper on a proposed replacement Scheme. The period of consultation on this closed in early January and it is expected that a new draft Scheme will be submitted to my Department for Ministerial approval in March. The draft Scheme will be examined by my Department to ensure that it adequately fulfills the relevant policy objectives as enunciated in the legislation, including those relating to the development of community media. EU State Aid approval will also be required prior to the new Scheme becoming operational on 1 January 2015.
Finally, I should mention that the BAI also operates the Community Broadcasting Support Scheme, which is a separate development fund specifically established to enable community radio stations to evaluate their activities. The scheme provides funding for stations to carry out key review work to assist with their overall performance to build capacity. The BAI works closely with the community sector in this regard.
