asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if, as indicated in his recent speech at Oxford, the Government has authorised the provision of an additional television network to re-broadcast BBC 1 Northern Ireland or UTV throughout the Republic.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Additional TV Network.
23.
The Government have authorised the provision of an additional transmitter and microwave link network which would serve for either re-broadcasting one Northern Ireland television channel or for a second RTE channel. As already announced, if negotiations regarding re-broadcasting a Northern Ireland programme here are successful, it is hoped that the second network will be used for this purpose as a first step towards the open broadcasting concept towards which the Government is favourably disposed.
I take it the Minister's omission of RTE 2 in his speech was merely an error?
Well, it was not really an error. I was talking about what the Government aim to do. What we would like to do, if we can do it, is to re-broadcast a Northern Ireland programme. That is what we are aiming at. If that proves not to be possible other possibilities, including a second RTE channel, will be looked at.
With reference to the Minister's speech, can he tell me whether he secured the approval of the committee and of its chairman, Lord Longford, before he issued his speech from Oxford.
Does this arise as a supplementary on this question?
The Chair can decide.
If the Chair permits I will certainly reply. I informed the chairman of the panel I was addressing, which was the panel on culture and communication, Prof. F. S. L. Lyons, that I was releasing this text and he raised no objection.
Was the Minister aware that there was an understanding by many prominent people representing North and South of Ireland and Britain to speak at that particular conference and not to issue any public——
Surely this is another matter.
There was no arrangement that people should not issue to the public, if they wished, statements which they made themselves. There was a provision that the confidentiality of the proceedings should be protected, that is to say that one would not issue statements about what other people said. I did not issue any statement about what anybody said other than myself.
Is the Minister aware that this has been commented on, a reflection on the behaviour of a Minister of the Irish Government in issuing a statement where others did not?
It has been commented on by the Opposition. I do not know of any other comments.
It has been commented on in the Press and the Minister knows it.