(Dublin Central): This Bill has taken about 18 months to go through this House. Naturally, any Bill that may improve broadcasting is desirable and there are sections which will certainly be helpful to the Authority and to broadcasting in general. When first circulated there was a section with regard to broadcasting the BBC in its entirety which has since been deleted. That deletion will contribute to broadcasting generally.
Broadcasting plays a vital role in moulding attitudes and I would like to see our national broadcasting station made available to all parts of the country. The majority of the people in the North should be in a position to receive RTE and there should be an exchange of programmes between both parts of the island. Let us hope this development will come about. It is one which could contribute towards peace and harmony. I would like to see dialogue between North and South. We must change hardened attitudes and the best way that can be done is by showing how we live. Again, we should see the way of life of people in the North. Only by frank discussion will a community evolve that can live in harmony. I believe RTE can play a vital role in this.
Television here is comparatively young. It has contributed substantially to enjoyment. It is important to ensure that our way of life is properly projected. I am not asking for an insular orientated programme all day long but we must ensure that our identity and cultural values are protected within the EEC. Member states will ensure that their identities and cultures are projected. We must do likewise. In the European context the challenge will be all the greater. People will demand more. They will want to know more about the Community and how it is developing. It is important that our Authority should do this.
I will be interested to hear the Minister say when exactly he intends to have the second channel operational and for how many hours it will operate. If it is confined to just one or two hours a day, the audience will be lost. In selling any product it is the initial impact that is important. That is how one gets one's customers. If there is not a proper impact, getting customers becomes much more difficult. Everything must be done to ensure that RTE will attract as wide an audience as possible. Even though people may buy newspapers produced elsewhere, they always buy the native product as well because there is more localised news in the native product. The same applies to broadcasting on the second channel.
Criticisms have been voiced by all shades of opinion in the past. On the second channel there must be complete impartiality and, if there is, those responsible will have nothing to fear. The development of programmes in the coming year will be a test of impartiality. We are facing an election year. Broadcasting will play a bigger role than ever before in the forthcoming election and we shall certainly be anxious to see the way in which these political programmes are formulated. The Authority can prove themselves by showing their impartiality as regards these programmes over the next six months or whenever the election is called. I hope they will show their independence irrespective of who is Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and regardless of Deputies from this or the other side of this House who would try to influence them in any way.
During electioneering, Ministers, not the present Minister, have changed their minds about certain commitments on policies which they have promised to carry through. I would be anxious to ensure that promises made by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs are not made for electioneering purposes, that if he announces that the second channel will be established in its entirety, that the commitment will be carried out in full not just providing one or two hours' viewing.
Disappointment has been expressed in Cork as regards television viewing. Provision was made in Cork for the recording of programmes and it is unfortunate that when a survey had been carried out and 90 per cent of the people indicated acceptance they were informed by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs that because of copyright difficulties they could not go ahead with these programmes. The Minister should have seen to it that everything was in order before the survey and wiring were carried out. It was hoped to have the service operating by 20th December.
The Minister has made commitments to various cities throughout the country such as Waterford, Galway and Cork that multi-channel viewing will be available to them. The Minister should be explicit in stating what problems will be encountered and how soon he will be in a position to provide this service. It is important that people know where they stand before capital expenditure is embarked on with these organisations that are seeking it at the moment. Full information should be available as regards cost, problems of copyright and so on, so that people will not be placed in the same position in which the Cork viewers have been placed. Making a vague commitment that he would not stand in their way is not good enough.
There are certain elements in this Bill which will be a factor in the expansion of RTE. I hope it expands as it should in the years ahead and plays its role the same as any major broadcasting company in the world. I would like to convey my congratulations to the staff of RTE and particularly to the director general for the manner in which he has performed the functions of his office. The handling of broadcasting in any country is a delicate matter in relation to keeping a fair balance within the various sections of the community. I believe he has done an excellent job. There are many groups and organisations, each of which would like to see their point of view being put forward. They are quite justified in seeking that, but the Authority must try to find a common denominator, try to please the majority of the community, which is a very difficult job.
We in this House can contribute constructively to these matters by putting forward our views. There is nothing wrong with being critical provided you are fair. As I have said, I will be looking forward to seeing what form the political programmes will take and how they will be constituted. Have they been drawn up already? Who will supervise them? I shall be interested to know what developments have taken place along these lines.