asked the Minister for Communications whether the delay in appointing a Broadcasting Commission will result in a gap between the end of illegal broadcasting and the introduction of licensed broadcasting.
7.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Radio and Television Services.
2.
asked the Minister for Communications when it is expected that local radio stations as provided for in the Radio and Television Act, 1988, will be established and in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 7 together.
The Independent Radio and Television Commission was established on Monday, 17 October 1988. Arrangements for the provision of services as provided for in the Radio and Television Act, 1988, and the speed with which such services are provided are a matter for the commission and I have no statutory function in these matters. However, I am pleased to note that the commission have already sought applications for a national radio franchise and a national independent television franchise as well as submissions in writing from persons or bodies interested in securing contracts for local radio services.
Would it be right to say that the Minister suggested to the commission that they might put radio stations on the air by the spring of 1989? Does that mean that there will be a minimum period of three months during which the present independent pirate stations will be off the air before there is a replacement available?
I indicated in my speech at the inaugural meeting of the commission that it would be my hope that independent licensed stations would be in operation by the spring of 1989. There is no reason that local stations cannot be in operation between this and then. I hope there would be the shortest possible time lag between the alternative pirate stations going off the air and a legal alternative radio regime being available to the listeners in Ireland who have indicated by the numbers in which they are listening to pirate stations that they want an alternative station. I hope that the period between the pirates going off the air — they must go off the air on 31 December — and newer stations coming on air will be as brief as possible.
In view of the fact that the Minister had set the December deadline why did he delay by at least four months after the passage of this legislation in the Oireachtas in appointing the commission?
He sat on it.
Why did he do that when he had set the December deadline for the outer stations?
It is strange to hear from the far side of the House the word "delay" being used in relation to alternative radio, they having sat on it for nearly ten years, particularly during the last four years when they were in Government.
The Minister will know that we facilitated him in regard to this legislation.
I appreciated the fact that the legislation was passed through the House. I was anxious to secure the services of the best available people to serve on the commission. I am very pleased indeed that the commission are chaired by a Supreme Court judge, Justice Henchy, who has had to resign from the bench to take the position. I am happy to have him as chairman and I believe it was worth waiting the period to secure the service of the very best people available.
I suggest to the Minister that the report of his speech to the convening meeting of the commission was a little stronger than an aspiration of hope. He said that he expected the national independent radio service to be in place by the spring. Can I ask the Minister if the chairman or the board responded in any way or indicated whether they would have difficulty in meeting the expectations of Government in setting up this system?
I merely gave a formal address to the meeting and the response from the chairman was merely a formal response thanking me for the appointment of the commission and assuring me of the best efforts and work of the commission. I was delighted to learn later that day that they had made the decision to advertise immediately for the national radio service and the national television service and to carry out what we called in this House as we were debating the matter the trawl of interest in relation to other stations around the country. It indicated to me that the commission were going to be up and about their work immediately.
I welcome the fact that there is a commission in place and not just the original advisory committee that the Minister had proposed in the initial legislation.
He was forced to change it.
Is the Minister aware of any priority that the commission are going to give to the applications for the various broadcasting segments that they are going to license? In view of the fact that the Minister is anxious to shorten as much as possible the time lag between 31 December when the illegal broadcasters will go off the air and the new local radios will come onstream, will he be directing the commission to address the local radio services prior to giving attention to a third television channel and to the national radio stations, because it would help the situation when the gap is forshortened?
It is not for me to interfere with the operations of the commission. It is a totally independent radio and television commission. However, I did take the opportunity at the inaugural meeting of making clear to them my earnest desire to see that there would be the shortest possible time lag between the illegal stations going off the air and an alternative legal local and national régime being put in place, and I was delighted to see that they have gone about their business in a three pronged way; they have advertised for the national radio, for the national television and, as a first step in establishing the local radio network, carried out a trawl resulting in a fairly reduced timescale for parties interested in establishing stations to contact them. They are up and about their business.