asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the amount of extra money which is being made available to RTE to produce an experimental series of programmes showing how they would use a second channel; and how this compares with the amount of money made available for BBC programmes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - RTE Second Channel.
56.
Extra money is not being made available to RTE for the purpose mentioned by the Deputy. No money has been made available for BBC programmes.
Would the Minister not agree it is unfair to RTE to suggest they should undertake this exercise if he is not prepared to make extra money available?
I do not think I would and I think RTE themselves would not want to justify their case for the second RTE channel in that way. They would want to be able to do it within their existing budget and their existing broadcasting times.
The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs has more or less challenged RTE on this matter.
I am quite sure RTE are quite willing to take up that challenge and would like to show how competent they could be if they were given permission to broadcast a second channel.
On their present budget surely they could not make a success of it?
I am sure they could.
Will the Minister accept that if what he is saying is correct the inference is that they have personnel in RTE who are under-occupied at the moment and they have resources which are not fully utilised? If the Minister says they have staff and resources to provide additional programmes surely there must be a conflict there? Perhaps this matter should be examined.
The remaining questions will appear——
Could we have an answer from the Minister? From what he said it appears at the moment that RTE can prepare and present additional programmes without any additional personnel and without any additional money. Surely the Minister must clarify that for the taxpayers of Ireland?
I am not as familiar as I would like to be with the matter to answer this question. I understand the position is that the challenge issued by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was to RTE to prove to the listening audience in Ireland that the second channel, which they would broadcast, would be of a quality acceptable to the viewers in the single channel area at the moment.
How can that be?
We cannot have argument at Question Time. The remaining questions will appear on next Tuesday's Order Paper. Deputies who require answers to their questions may get them by applying to the General Office.