asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why Telefís Éireann are cutting the hours of television programmes in view of the fact that thousands of persons purchased TV sets on the understanding that there would be longer programmes; and if he will take suitable action to prevent the reduction in programmes, or to refund portion of the licence fee to licence holders.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Telefís Éireann Programmes.
59.
With my approval the present hours of television programmes are somewhat less than they have been because of the strike. The reduction corresponds broadly to the periods which had been devoted to programmes affected by the strike. In regard to the hours of broadcasting in the months ahead, I am informed by the Authority that these will be of the order of 43 hours regularly per week when the strike is over. Deputies may remember that when introducing the Estimate for my Department last year, I said that with my approval the Authority had fixed the weekly hours for television broadcasting at 42 hours per week with permission to go as high as 47 hours per week.
The second part of the Deputy's question does not, therefore, arise.
Is it not correct that the Minister and members of the Television Authority held out hope of extended television broadcasts? It was with that in mind that many people purchased sets and paid the £4 licence fee, a fee which is now taken from them by the State under false pretences. There is a shorter television broadcast and there is no news. It is the news broadcast the people in the rural areas are particularly interested in, people in areas where the daily newspapers do not penetrate—Ballynure, Clonfin, and such places, in my constituency. Is that not a fact?
It is not a fact at all.
But there is no news.
Is it not correct that owners of television sets paid the £4 licence fee on the understanding they would have longer hours of broadcasting?
Nonsense.
That is the fact, and they now find there will be shorter hours of broadcasting and they are being deprived——
This is repetition.
——of the news in these programmes. What does the Minister propose to do about it? Nothing?
It is a matter for the Authority.
The Minister has no function whatever.
I sanction the hours. I have already done so.
Did the Minister not promise the people longer hours?
I did not promise them anything of the kind.
Did the Minister not collect their £4?
I fixed the hours of broadcasting.
And the Minister fixed the licence fee and the people are not getting value for it.
They are not entitled——
Not entitled to any value? That is an extraordinary statement. Of course, they are entitled to value. The Minister has no right to take the £4 without giving them value.
I have power under the 1926 Act.
Surely, if the Minister is entitled to take the money——
I am entitled under the law to collect licence fees, even if people never get any broadcasts at all. That is the law of this House.
Surely, if the Minister takes the money, he should give the people back their money when they do not get any value? He should not be fooling the people.