Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Mar 1950

Vol. 119 No. 9

Committee on Finance. - Vote 62—Wireless Broadcasting.

Mr. Everett

I move:—

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £8,670 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1950, for Salaries and other Expenses in connection with Wireless Broadcasting (No. 45 of 1926), including Public Concerts.

When presenting the Estimate for Wireless Broadcasting for the current financial year to the Dáil in July last, I mentioned that another source of international news had been made available to the news section of the broadcasting service. The current year's contract for the additional news service was entered into after the main Estimate had been approved and provision was not, therefore, made for it. As sufficient savings will not be available on sub-head B to cover the fee to the additional news agency and the cost of handling the extra material now reaching the news-room, an extra £2,600 will be required under sub-head B during the present financial year.

An additional £8,165 is required under sub-head F. Of this amount, £1,515 is in respect of studio equipment which was provided for in the Estimate for 1948-49 but which was not delivered or paid for until this year, and £4,940 is in respect of accounts from the contractor for the short-wave station which should normally have been paid last year but were not because the contractor did not send in his bills in time.

The remaining £1,710 required under sub-head F represents the cost of completing the short-wave station and reerecting aerials which were taken down and put into store when it was decided to suspend work on this station. The only short-wave provision in the Vote for the current year is a small sum for maintenance cost and it is therefore necessary to provide by Supplementary Vote for these outstanding bills for equipment and for completing the station.

The transmitter and aerial system for North America have now been completed, but extensive engineering tests over the air will be needed. I hope to have more information available on this subject by the time the main Estimate for the coming year is ready for presentation.

The gross total needed for the items specified above is £10,765, but it is estimated that there will be savings amounting to £2,095 under sub-head A. These savings are due mainly to vacancies being unfilled for portion of the year.

The net additional sum now required is, therefore, £8,670.

Mr. Little

Perhaps the Minister could give us some idea of his intentions with regard to the use of the short-wave station. Some little time ago there was a reference in one of the papers to something the Minister had said. He seemed to cast doubt on going ahead with the short-wave station, on the grounds that other inventions had come along, that the use of the short-wave was not so great and the benefits were not as effective as we might have anticipated. In view of the fact that other countries are not shutting down their short-wave stations and are, if anything, developing them for the purpose of national emergencies —which was the first and greatest reason for the setting up of the station in Ireland—I would like to know what the Minister's intentions are with regard to the development of the short-wave station, not merely the mast to America but the other masts which are also in store. He has not told us whether these have been put up or not.

Mr. Kissane

I remember that, when the main Estimate was taken for Wireless Broadcasting, I referred to the question of céilidhe music. I wonder would I be permitted to dwell on that for a few minutes?

An Ceann Comhairle

Will the céilidhe music be on the short-wave?

Mr. Kissane

It might.

An Ceann Comhairle

I see this is for a news service.

Mr. Kissane

I would like that we would have a new service as far as céilidhe music is concerned.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy will have an opportunity in another couple of weeks.

Mr. Kissane

Would I be in order in discussing the broadcasting of the news in Irish, Nuacht an Lae?

An Ceann Comhairle

If the Deputy looks at page 2 of the Estimate, he will find what is in order. It says "News Service" and "Additional sum required for equipment". These are the two things.

Mr. Kissane

I am not at all pleased with the way in which the news in Irish is sometimes presented to the public. Sometimes, I am afraid that one at least of the announcers is not very distinct. It is all important that those who are in charge of giving out news in the Irish language should be very careful to be as distinct and as clear as possible. I know of nothing more likely to make the Irish language unpopular than presenting news in Irish incoherently and without proper punctuation. It is especially important for students of the language. I would like the Minister to turn his attention to that feature of broadcasting news in Irish.

I know, of course, that an attempt is being made to cater for all dialects in the Irish language. That is as it should be but, no matter what dialect is used, it should be distinct and clear so that students of the Irish language would derive real benefit from it.

Mr. Timoney

I would like to endorse what Deputy Kissane has said as regards elocution in the matter of announcing Irish news. I do not think it would be proper to go into personalities here but I think the Deputy will agree with me that there is one announcer who is particularly distinct and clear in the manner in which he speaks. He is very easy to follow. I think perhaps the real trouble is the absence of some standardisation. It would be desirable that there should be an official standard and that local idioms would be avoided as much as possible. There was an article on that very point in a recent issue of India. I thought it dealt with the question very well. It is a matter of importance that I would like the Minister to bring to the notice of the authorities. The first point is that of elocution; the second, the matter of standardisation.

I think this is a proper occasion upon which to congratulate the Minister on having extended the time for the Irish news, within the past few months, from ten to 15 minutes. It now gets 15 minutes at night. It is only right that the Minister should be congratulated on having arranged that. As I have said, and as Deputy Kissane has said, something should be done about elocution and standardisation.

Mr. Everett

I am surprised that Deputy Kissane should complain about the announcers in Irish because I have received very complimentary messages from native Irish speakers in regard to the selection each week of announcers in different dialects, which was done for the purpose of catering for each Irish-speaking area. It may be a bit awkward for Deputy Kissane, being a Kerryman, not understanding the dialect of a Donegal announcer.

Mr. Kissane

I did not say that.

Mr. Everett

I am not a native Irish speaker but I give every support I possibly can to the development of the Irish language. I gave a promise last year that I would extend the time by five minutes. My only regret is that we are unable to give half an hour to news in Irish. I hope the time will come when a much longer period will be given to the news in Irish for the benefit of native speakers and students of the Irish language. I am sure Deputy Kissane appreciates the difficulties of getting in the news in Irish and English when you are limited to a few hours. When we have the second wave-length, I hope we will be able to devote a much longer time to Irish in the day-time, even for school children, and that the Irish language will have longer time than a foreign language. In my young days I made my contribution to the promotion of the language, when we had the O'Growney books. Unfortunately, I am not able to speak the Irish language but I supported the Irish language in the days when it was not popular to do so. If Deputy Kissane or any other Deputy can show me how we can improve the position of the Irish language, I am only too anxious, with their co-operation and help, to promote the language in any way I can and to see that there will be no complaints as regards the Irish broadcasting station not helping and developing the Irish language by every means in its power.

As regards Deputy Little's complaint in connection with the short-wave, I have pointed out to him that our engineers are already testing the station. I will be in a position, when I am introducing my Estimate, to give full information to the House in regard to the entire position of the short-wave station.

Supplementary Estimate agreed to.