Vol. 374 No. 2
asked the Minister for Communications if he has considered the report of the working group on Irish language programming on television; if the Government accept the proposal that there should not be a Gaeltacht television service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
58. D'fhiafraigh
den Aire Cumarsáide an gcuirfear stáisiún teilifíse ar fáil do na Gaeltachtaí; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina leith.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 58 together.
The Government have received the report in question and have indicated that they will consider their conclusions in the light of any observations received from RTE and any other interested parties.
May I take it from the Minister's reply that he has not ruled out the possibility of Telefís na Gaeltachta, a television service for the Gaeltacht areas, in the light of the reports that have been received?
The report was received by the Government on 18 September and the following statement was issued at that time:
The Government has received the report presented by the working group on Irish language television broadcasting. The conclusions contained in the report will be fully considered by the Government in the light of any observations received from RTE or any other interested parties.
That is not long fingering it. We envisage about two to three months for receipt of responses to the report, so nothing is ruled out at this stage and nothing is included pending observations of RTE and other interested groups. We would be very interested to get any views the Deputy himself may have on it. Nothing is in and nothing is out.
The Minister is aware that the report includes the observations of RTE and of a wide range of interested groups such as Radio na Gaeltachta, Bord na Gaeilge, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, Conradh na Gaeilge agus GaelLinn, and that their observations are all contained in the report. Will the Minister agree that at this stage of their development after 25 years in existence it is unlikely that RTE will ever be in a position to put on any more Irish language programmes than they have been doing up to this and that, therefore, a radical change is essential?
It is a point of view and the Deputy is more than entitled to that. There is another point of view that the establishment of a separate service would be inappropriate because of the danger of "ghettoising" the language itself and that maybe it would be preferable that RTE would put on more Irish language programmes rather than a separate service. They are matters to be decided. It is only a point of view at this stage. I would welcome any views the Deputy might have on this, and the views of other interested groups, if he would forward them to the Department of the Gaeltacht.
Maidir leis an méid a dúirt an tAire faoi "ghettoisation". I hope the Minister does not accept that suggestion——
I get only points of view.
——because of the experience of Radio na Gaeltachta which, I am sure the Minister will agree, is listened to by a wide range of people well outside the Gaeltacht and is of vital importance to the people in the Gaeltacht. Finally, will the Minister take into consideration in examining this report the fact that a number of highly efficient professional people in the Gaeltacht areas already put on sample programmes for a period of 18 hours, and will he look at the costs and the possibilities that exist in that area when examining the report?
I will, of course. In regard to "ghettoisation" I merely make the point. I do not say it is my point of view. That point of view has been expressed by others involved and it is just one of many points of view on this question.
