Deirdre Clune
Ceist:1 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will outline her proposals for the future development of TG4; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30050/00]
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Development of TG4.
In line with the policy of the Government regarding Teilifís na Gaeilge, otherwise known as TG4, it is my intention that the station be established as a separate statutory entity. The Broadcasting Bill, 1999, which is currently before the House, will, when enacted, provide enabling powers for this purpose.
As provided for in the Bill, I envisage TG4 will provide a national television service that will have the character of a public service with a comprehensive range of programmes primarily in the Irish language. In addition to programmes in the Irish language, TG4 will be required to have regard to the need to cater for the expectations of audiences who are not generally catered for by other broadcasting services.
There will be a need for extensive discussions and consultation after the Bill is enacted on the detail of proceeding with and the timing of the establishment of Teilifís na Gaelige as a separate entity. It will be necessary to have adequate structures and funding in place. It will also be necessary to have statutory arrangements in place for the station's ongoing relationship with RTE in relation to a number of important matters. I expect the process of establishing TG4 as a separate entity will take a number of years.
I have secured £18.4 million in funding for the station for 2001. That represents an increase of more than 23% on the current year and is clear evidence of the Government's commitment to the ongoing development of TG4. On the basis of my discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, I am confident I will be in a position to secure a further significant increase in funding to support the station's development plan in the context of the Estimates for 2002.
We all support TG4. The programming it provides is very popular. The Minister said that its establishment as a separate entity will take a number of years. TG4 is anxious that such an establishment date should be fixed, that there should be a finite time within which it would be established as a separate entity. We tabled amendments to the Broadcasting Bill, that TG4 should be established as a separate entity within two years of the enactment of that Bill. Does the Minister consider that will be possible? While the Minister said she secured £18.4 million in funding for the station in the Estimates for 2001, TG4 is not sure what level of funding it will get from year to year, which makes it difficult for it to plan for its future development. Does the Minister consider it would be valuable for TG4 if it was guaranteed a percentage of the licence fee income, given that it is a public service broadcaster and provides a valuable service, which, as the Minister said, is not generally catered for by other broadcasting services? I would like the Minister to address the question of TG4 being guaranteed a percentage of the licence fee income collected in the public service broadcasting.
When I published the Broadcasting Bill, 1999, in May 1999 TG4's reaction to it was nervous in that it did not wish to be separated from RTE and established as a separate entity overnight. I said at that time, and continue to say, that a great deal of work must be undertaken before that separation can take place. The Broadcasting Bill is enabling legislation, which will ensure that when the time is right, when there is an agreement between Comhairle and RTE, and they want to proceed along those lines, the necessary legislation to facilitate that will be in place.
A number of matters will have to be addressed before TG4 will become a statutory entity, one being the ongoing current funding levels of the station. The Government will have to be satisfied regarding TG4's plans for the future, the associated costs and its ongoing relationship with RTE, including access to RTE's facilities, including archive material, transmission costs, etc. The fine details will have to be worked out.
I noticed, even over the past year or 18 months, there is an appetite in TG4 for this to happen. We all know that TG4 is a vibrant organisation. It is an example of what can be done in broadcasting, particularly regarding young people's involvement. That is why I have been happy to ensure we have given it a substantial increase in funding, even on the past year. The increase in funding I secured for TG4 for 2001 represents an increase of more than 23% on the current year.
I hope the Broadcasting Bill will soon be enacted and then the issue of establishing TG4 as a separate entity will be a matter for further negotiations between RTE, Comhairle and government. It is something we would like to see happen and that is why it has been part of Government policy to ensure that we will be able to provide such enabling powers.
I wish to ask the Minister another supplementary question.
The time allocated for this question has expired. We must proceed to Question No. 2.
The Member who tables a question normally gets an opportunity to ask two supplementary questions.
There are only six minutes allocated to this question and that time has expired.