Síle de Valera
Ceist:8 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he has satisfied himself that the independent radio sector in Ireland receives sufficient support for viability. [7366/95]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Local and Community Radio Funding.
Seamus Brennan
Ceist:21 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he will provide support for commercial local radio stations to assist with infrastructure costs and required technological investments. [6539/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 21 together.
I refer the Deputies to my reply to Questions Nos. 2, 6, 12, 17 and 24 on 2 March 1995 — columns 102 to 105 of the Official Report.
As I indicated in that reply, the question of funding of local and community radio is one of many issues raised in the Green Paper on Broadcasting which will be published tomorrow.
Under the terms of the Radio and Television Act, 1988, it is a matter for the Independent Radio and Television Commission to arrange for the provision of sound broadcasting services other than those operated by RTE. There is no provision under the Act for public funding of non-RTE broadcasting stations. Any proposals to change this situation which might be developed will be informed by the debate and discussion generated by the Green Paper.
Will the Minister agree that ways must be examined on how best local radio can cover news gathering costs?
I do not want to preempt the debate. Two points are clear and there is no difference of opinion about them. Those who applied for licences under the 1988 broadcasting legislation dealing with the commercial sector did so in expectation of a commercial advantage. At that time they did not seek public funding. The second point is that there are certain kinds of infrastructural costs referred to in the document circulated to Deputies and Senators by the Association of Independent Radio Stations. It refers to the infrastructural costs of news gathering, transmission and whatever. The appropriate way to discuss this is in a full debate over the six months which will follow the publication of the Green Paper which addressed this issue.
I am interested in the Minister's reply. Many of these questions will hinge on the debate that will ensue on the Green Paper. I would be interested to hear the personal view of the Minister with specific responsibility for broadcasting. In that capacity does the Minister intend to fund local radio to help the provision of facilities he has mentioned, particularly training and development for local radio, transmission costs and the provision of specialised programming?
We must follow the proper sequence. A Green Paper is being published tomorrow which will be followed by a period of discussion. I have suggested that those wishing to comment on the Green Paper should do so before the end of September. I certainly have my views and I discussed them with representatives of AIRS on more than one occasion. In addition to that it falls to me to respond to the debate on the Green Paper and prepare necessary legislation, and I hope to do that during the lifetime of this Government.
I am interested to hear that the Minister has already discussed these issues with AIRS, an excellent organisation in that it contacted every Member of this House to discuss these issues. It is laudable that the Minister should put his views forward to a particular organisation, and it is his right to do so. By the same token it is equally the right of this House to hear the Minister's views on this issue in regard to which he has already admitted to preparing to discuss in committee, as it were, with smaller groups and organisations.
That is a distortion of what I just said, unfortunately. During the period of office of the last Government I had requests from many people to discuss broadcasting with me, including a number of groups like RTE trade unions, AIRS and others who sought an interview with me which I gave and at which we discussed an agenda for a couple of hours. To say that this is impressing my views on them——
No.
That is not what the Deputy meant and she will, no doubt, want to correct herself.
The Minister expressed his views to them. I am asking him to express them to the House.
I am well capable of doing that. The point is that the Deputy will have the Green Paper tomorrow and it will be up to her to try to respond to it after which there will be consideration of legislation. I will be legislating in this area in the life of this Government and when specific questions are put down to me about this I will reply. It will be appropriate to discuss any amendment of the 1988 Act when we are discussing the Green Paper. Why have a Green Paper if we do not respect it?
Equally, what are the Minister's objections to answering a simple question on an issue for which his Department has specific responsibility? Why does he object to giving a personal opinion on these issues? It is all very well to say these matters will be discussed in a Green Paper. I look forward to that and hope we will have a constructive debate, but surely the Minister has a view and does not have to wait to hear the responses of others to the Green Paper.
Perhaps it is because I am not looking into my heart.
Perhaps the Minister should.
I have personal views, but I am the Minister with responsibility for broadcasting who has initiated a process which includes a Green Paper. I respect discussion and consultation, one must consider carefully what people have to say and not try to impose one's own views. I have views on broadcasting and the Deputy will have no difficulty discovering them. However, if I publish a Green Paper and seek opinions on it from different groups, it is important that I listen to them and, on the basis of consultation, I will produce the best possible legislative outcome, I hope, in 1996.
It would seem we are not to know the Minister's personal views on this issue.
It takes only a very moderate library skill.