asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the amount of TV interference which has been recently increasing in the South Meath area, and in particular in Trim town; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - TV Interference in South Meath.
48.
As I said in answer to earlier questions, all powers appropriate for the investigation and detection of interference with wireless telegraphy receiving apparatus have been conferred on Radio Éireann by the Broadcasting Authority (Control of Interference) Order, 1960, and Deputies should, therefore, communicate detailed particulars of any such complaints to Radio Éireann.
I understand that following investigations made by a Radio Éireann interference officer during the second half of January, several sources of interference in the South Meath area were eliminated and since then Radio Éireann has received no complaint from the area.
If there is interference on UTV or BBC, will Telefís Éireann move in and get rid of that interference?
That is a separate question.
Will the Minister say if the Post Office authorities are prepared to accept complaints from the people concerned, or must they be communicated direct to Radio Éireann or Telefís Éireann?
The Radio Éireann Authority have a section or branch and that deals exclusively with interference. They have an investigating officer or officers who, on receipt of any complaint, will have it investigated. It would be much better, and I suppose more expeditious, if Deputies and everyone else communicated directly with the Authority.
The Minister has said that complaints should be made directly to a certain address. Would he put that information across the national network in order that people would make complaints directly instead of to Deputies or the Post Office?
In this case the complaint was made directly to the Authority. The Authority investigated it and found the source and cause of the complaint and had it rectified.
I do not want to be catty, but it was a long time before they discovered it existed.