Vol. 409 No. 9
7 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications the community groups and committees with an anti-MMDS viewpoint with whom he has met since his promise to do so on 14 May 1991; and if he will make a statement on his current attitude to multi-channel TV choice.
I have met with groups representing communities in the west/north-west part of the country and the Waterford/Cork region to date. The Government's objective is to respond to the demand for greater television choice for those who do not have access to cable services. This has been stated many times in this House and that objective is unchanged. I also met with multi-channel operators recently. These consultations are proving helpful and constructive in examining the legal, financial and technical situation. I propose to meet others and will make a further statement at that time.
I am disappointed that the Minister, while replying adequately to questions that I have not asked, did not reply to the question that I did ask. Has the Minister met with groups and committees with an anti-MMDS viewpoint since he promised to do so, and if not, when does he intend to do so?
In the opening line of my reply I said that I had met with groups representing communities in the west and north-west part of the country and the Waterford/Cork region to date. They were anti-MMDS communities.
That is what I wanted to elicit — whether he had anti-MMDS viewpoints expressed to him. What would the Minister's advice be to a subscriber to an illegal deflector system in County Kildare who currently receives six channels and pays £20 a year, who has now been approached to join MMDS and will still have six channels but whose video recorder will be virtually useless because the decoder is incompatible with it, who will need a separate recorder for each channel, can only record the channel he is watching and for all of that he will pay an annual charge of £120 plus a maintenace fee of £90? What advice would the Minister give to that man and his family?
I have to dissuade the Deputy from quoting. It is not in order at Question Time.
It is just because I know the man so well that it appears that I am quoting. What advice would the Minister give to that man in view of the fact that he has given a commitment that he will ensure real multi-channel choice for everyone?
I would obviously have to advise him not to subscribe to anything illegal.
