Vol. 418 No. 2
5 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications whether she will outline the stage reached in the implementation of Council Directive 89/552/EEC which made it compulsory that television stations would devote 10 per cent of transmission time to independently produced programmes and 50 per cent of transmission time to European produced programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The provisions of Council Directive 89/552, which came into effect on 3 October 1991, relating to independently produced programmes and programmes of European origin have been implemented by Statutory Instrument No. 251 of 1991, made on 27 September 1991, entitled the European Communities (Television Broadcasting) Regulations, 1991.
It is a matter for the RTE Authority to comply with the regulations. It is not envisaged that RTE will have any insuperable difficulties in complying with the terms of the relevant provisions of the Directive. All member states are required to make a report to the EC Commission every two years on the application of these provisions. The first report will relate to the period October 1991 to October 1993.
I wish to remind the Minister that her predecessor informed the House in June 1991 that discussions were then taking place with RTE in relation to the implementation of the provisions of the Directive. What is the current state of play and to what extent have RTE managed to make progress in the implementation of the Directive?
My information is that RTE consider that they are already quite close to meeting the general European programming quota and that they do not expect any major difficulty in complying with it. However, as the Deputy knows, I shall shortly have discussions with RTE in relation to the ongoing review of the Broadcasting Act, 1990. In the course of that discussion I intend to raise with RTE their obligations under the Directive. Perhaps after that discussion I shall be able, in a more informed way, to give the Deputy the information he requests.
I should have hoped that as a result of this question being tabled the Minister would already be in possession of the information to which she has referred. I wish to bring it to the attention of the Minister that in Britain, for example, the Independent Television Commission a few days ago announced that independent productions on ITV reached 21 per cent of all new programmes in 1991 and that in 1991 some 1,400 hours of programmes from independents, worth something like £95.8 million, were screened on ITV. Could we be provided with similar information in respect of RTE? I also draw the Minister's attention to the fact that the answers to those questions might have some bearing on her consideration of changes to the Broadcasting Act, 1990.
I undertake to get the information that Deputy Currie is anxious to have. However, my understanding from RTE is that they will not have difficulty in complying with the regulations under the Directive.
Could the Minister indicate whether or not she considers the Directive had any particular importance in the Government's plans for the future of broadcasting in Ireland? I put it to her that some consider it to be crucial cornerstone for the development of broadcasting and that it does not seem to get the same regard from the Government. I ask the Minister why the Directive was translated into a statutory instrument only and whether or not any future broadcasting policy of legislation from the Government will address the provisions of the Directive? Does the Minister accept that the Directive merely sets down a minimum and that what she, in consultation with RTE, should now have surpassed the minimum and be moving more rapidly towards the objective of the British broadcasting agencies of a 25 per cent content of independently produced broadcasts? In summation, do I take it that it is the Minister's attitude simply to pass the Directive into a statutory instrument and then forget about it, or will she take an active role as Minister to encourage a working together by RTE and the independents to achieve development of a joint market in this regard?
I remind the Minister that the House cannot have a debate on this issue. Deputies must confine themselves to the question asked originally and questions arising out of that, without going into policy and other matters that would be more appropriate for another time. I leave it to the Minister to reply in her own efficient way.
The requirement is that EC Directives be implemented into national law. I understand that the implementation of this Directive could be done, and it was the proper way to do it, by the provision of a statutory instrument. That is why it was done that way.
While I do not have a role in the day-to-day operational matters of RTE, I most certainly do have a role — an active role, as the Deputy said — in encouraging RTE to move in the general direction that the UK market has moved. It would be in everyone's interest, and I hope that everyone would share the view, that the more programming of a European nature we have and the more encouragement given to the independents from the national network the better it is, not only on the jobs front but also in the interests of general competition, in the kind of programming we get and in better selection for viewers all around the country.
Mar a thuigeann an tAire, má tá suim againn níos mó clár a chur ar fáil sa bhaile, níl slí is fearr chun é sin a dhéanamh ná trí Ghaeilge. Sna comhráite atá ag an Aire le RTE, an bhfuil an cheist sin á phlé, níos mó clár trí Ghaeilge agus, b'fhéidir, seirbhís Ghaeilge, chomh luath agus is féidir?
Nuair a bhí mé ag freagairt ceiste sa Dáil mí ó shin nó mar sin, thug mé an t-eolas do na Teachtaí gur iarr mé ar RTE figiúirí a chur chugam go foirmiúil i leith seirbhís teilifís Gaeilge: an costas a bheidh ag baint leis agus na bealaí éagsúla go bhféadfaí é a dhéanamh, go neamhspleách leis féin nó mar cheann de na seirbhísí atá ag RTE cheana. Níl na figiúirí sin faighte agam go fóill, ach is féidir leis an Teachta bheith cinnte go dteastaíonn uaimse — mar dhuine Gaeltachta agus mar dhuine a bhfuil suim speisialta agam sa Ghaeilge, ar nós an Teachta McGinley — na figiúirí sin a fháil; agus sna comhráite a bheas agam le RTE agus le daoine eile agus mé ag déanamh staidéir ar leasú an Achta 1990, go bhfuil mé ag coinneáil os mo shúile seirbhís teilifís Gaeilge.
