Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

JOINT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 2010

Broadcasting of Oireachtas Proceedings: Discussion with RTE.

I received an apology from Deputy Dan Neville. I welcome Mr. Cillian de Paor, managing editor, RTE news and current affairs, Mr. Michael Conway, Oireachtas unit, RTE news and current affairs, and Mr. Rory Coveney, senior communications manager, RTE. I request that all mobile telephones be turned off. Members of the committee have absolute privilege but this same privilege does not apply to delegates appearing before the committee. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person outside the Houses, or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

We have a lengthy agenda and I would appreciate it if each member only made one contribution.

The item of interest especially to us in the Seanad is the broadcasting of the Order of Business once a week on a pilot basis. The proposal was unanimously supported by the committee and, because of that, the RTE representatives are present to assist us in our deliberations. The Seanad did not get its name, the Upper House, from a line in a song or a poem or because of one television or radio programme. The House got its name because of the high level of debate that takes place there and the fact that it represents both minorities and majorities. We have to take our message to the people, our constituents, and let them know the good work being done there. On a pilot basis, we want to have one hour of the Order of Business live on television to let the people see the good work being done. I would like to hear what RTE can do to assist us in that regard and help this committee in its deliberations.

I welcome the delegation to the meeting. The committee has been examining the possibility of broadcasting the proceedings of the Dáil and Seanad, similar to what is done by the BBC Parliament channel. We are very interested in the delegation's views on how RTE might fit into this proposal, given that the current contract is due to be renewed shortly and that the digital platform will become available very soon. This will mean significant technical changes. We all think "Oireachtas Report" is on very late at night when many people have gone to bed. What can be done by the Houses of the Oireachtas to make viewing of the proceedings of the Houses more interesting for RTE viewers? Some people have said reading scripts in the Chambers can be quite boring. What are the views of the delegation on this matter and has RTE received any feedback from viewers about what happens in the Houses? How might the TAM ratings be increased? These ratings are very important for RTE. Is this the reason "Oireachtas Report" is broadcast so late in the evening or is it a Catch 22 situation in that it is broadcast late and the TAM ratings are therefore low?

We are interested in showing the Houses and the work of Members in the best possible light. There has been a great deal of negative comment about the work of the Houses. RTE has been to the forefront in being positive rather than negative whereas other outlets are negative at times. We want everybody to be fair and impartial - and RTE is - but at the same time, there is a great deal of negative feeling about politics at the moment which is not very healthy in a democracy. What can we do to work together to improve the public attitude and to show the work done here? I refer in particular to the committees where people work very hard and yet very little is known about this. I ask the delegation to help us in our work. Perhaps there are ways we can help RTE to inform the public about the work done by committees.

I welcome the delegation. As a relatively new TD, I am glued to "Oireachtas Report" to see if I am on it now and again. However, the programme is in an awful time slot. As a current TD said in the House a couple of years ago, it was really only for insomniacs. There should be a slot available during the day, perhaps around 6 p.m. at the news time and maybe even a second slot. My concern is that RTE seems to just show the Dáil Chamber when there is hardly anyone in there although this is not always the fault of RTE. For example, any broadcast from the House of Commons looks vibrant and engaging with lots of MPs. We sometimes get bad coverage, to put it that way, if there is a row in the Dáil or if something extraordinary happens. I acknowledge the Order of Business and Leaders' Questions on Wednesdays are covered but the day-to-day work of parliamentarians needs to be shown in a better light. We are well able to hack it ourselves but the public perception is that there is nobody or very few people in the Dáil. I wonder if RTE could change the emphasis or even the angle of some of the shots during Leaders' Questions or the Order of Business to make it more vibrant. RTE is the specialist in this work and we are just the participants in the action. It would be very good if the directors of the participants could give a better view of the Chamber when it is fuller, for the sake of the public and not for our little egos, so that the public could view our National Parliament shown to its best advantage. My other points have already been aired by Deputy Stanton.

I welcome the delegation from RTE. Deputy Stanton raised a very important point as to what Members can do. I refer to Senator Cassidy's comments on the Seanad. I often watch the broadcast of Leaders' Questions on Wednesday morning and I compliment RTE on that broadcast. This could be done from the Seanad even if it entailed moving the Order of Business in the Seanad to a different time. It is important to know what this committee can do. Many committee sittings clash with the Order of Business in the Seanad and the Dáil. The committee sitting times could be altered or else the time for the Order of Business in both Houses could be altered. As Deputy White said, the Chambers are full for the Order of Business and for certain legislation and debates on certain issues and this is when the proceedings should be televised because full Chambers make the best television viewing.

I agree completely with Senator Burke's comments. There is no doubt that the Order of Business in the Seanad is the most interesting part of the day. As the delegation said, if we can oblige RTE in any way by moving the time by an hour and with the agreement of the Leader and the other Members, this could be done. I salute the delegation for what they are doing. It is unfortunate that the drunks and the insomniacs are well catered for with the hour but RTE has its own business to take care of as well and we acknowledge that. However, there is a way that we can have a co-operative two-way flow.

I welcome the delegation and congratulate Deputy Edward O'Keeffe on becoming Chairman of this committee. Unfortunately I was not here for his inauguration at the last meeting.

The problem for RTE with regard to broadcasting Dáil proceedings is that mundane legislative business is dealt with on every sitting day and it is very difficult to choose aspects of such business that will interest the general public. There is far more interaction in the committees between visiting delegations and the members and this would be more interesting for the general public. Delegations from the banks or Irish Rail, for instance, create more interest for the general public than does the ordinary Dáil business. The Order of Business provides variety and variety is the spice of life. I am sure the Senators are of the same view with regard to the Seanad. We must put our own house in order first. I have been a Member since 1993 and there was talk about reform of the Oireachtas at that stage and 17 years later I doubt if very much has happened in that period. We can talk to RTE and ask for the best we can get and hope we can get it but we must put our own house in order first and implement changes that will make the Houses relevant because the Houses are becoming more irrelevant every day. There is far more activity and interaction in the committees which is more interesting for the public. If we do not change and become more interesting for the viewers, RTE will not be able to change the time slot for "Oireachtas Report". We are our own biggest enemies in this. Something has to be done about reform of both Houses to match what the public wants and if we do not do this, then we will have to put up with what we are getting because we do not deserve anything more.

I wish the Chairman well in his appointment. He has a hard act to follow.

We went through that the last day.

I welcome the gentlemen from RTE. The late transmission time of "Oireachtas Report" does not make sense to me. Sometimes I think RTE shows it for the sake of showing it because not too many people watch it at that time. As Deputy Rabbitte said, it appears to be for drunks and zombies, though it can be very interesting at times. Backbenchers have very little chance to get on the programme as it is built around the leaders in the Seanad or the Dáil and a Bill is dominated by the Minister or by spokespersons. If a backbencher does not get to speak before 3.30 p.m. or 4 p.m. he or she has very little chance of appearing on "Oireachtas Report" and very good contributions are never picked up on.

Who decides editorial policy on what is shown on the programme? Has this committee any say or is it totally at the discretion of RTE? "Oireachtas Report" has run for years and is a bit "iffy" in terms of the service it provides to the public. Would the producers consider broadcasting Question Time, which runs from 2.30 p.m. until 3.45 p.m. and includes very good contributions from backbenchers as well as Ministers and Opposition spokespersons? The BBC covers the equivalent of Question Time in the House of Commons but RTE has never shown it. If a programme ran from 2.30 p.m. until 3.45 p.m. people could watch it and then ring Joe Duffy to attack every politician because that is the current trend. No matter where a politician is from or what party he or she belongs to, they are fair game. RTE should look at new ways of promoting the Houses of the Oireachtas rather than showing one programme late at night when very few people are watching.

I welcome the group from RTE and thank them for the work they do on our behalf, with limited resources and time. I agree with Deputy White's suggestion to put us on at prime time but I think we will have to keep that as an objective.

We have to have aspirations.

We still need our national broadcaster to sell advertising. I support the proposal of Senator Cassidy because the Order of Business in the Seanad is fresh, topical, newsy and moves quickly. The Leader takes the view that nobody should be allowed more than two minutes and inputs should be topical and related to the news of the day. It would be an attractive prospect if properly structured and I would like to hear the views of RTE as to how the proposal could be progressed.

I realise that the timing of programmes is not necessarily in the gift of the delegates present but they might return to us with some comments on the matter. In the initial stage of the discussions on broadcasting the proceedings of the Houses some ridiculous views were expressed over the transmission of reaction shots and other such matters but, in return for making political programmes, producers should be given the creative space they need to make it work. I do not have a problem with showing empty seats because the public are entitled to know that they are a feature of our debates and it is up to us to explain that Members are involved in other work, such as attending committees.

I would not propose any restrictions and, as Deputy Stanton said, there is a difference between an Oireachtas or parliamentary channel and an edited programme. However, the point made about backbenchers is an important one. RTE might say it is not its job to promote backbenchers but if it is to show Parliament it should show all of Parliament. The advantage of the Order of Business lies in the fact that it shows everybody who has something to say and reflects the concerns of the House over the questions of the day.

Deputy Stanton asked what we needed to do on our side and I would be grateful if the delegates returned with an answer to that question. When the first broadcasts of the Houses were made, many years ago, we had a list of restrictions on what could and could not be done and it embarrassed me, though they have been lifted in recent years. There is a certain preciousness on our side - some say we are in Parliament to do parliamentary business and not to accommodate the media but that is not the true position. The Dáil is discussing a matter which was to be discussed later but was brought forward to accommodate the media. We need to be flexible but still do our business and flexibility does not dilute the importance of our work.

I forgot to mention one thing. I would like to hear the views of the RTE delegation on the withdrawal of funding for the broadcast of Sunday mass on Raidió na Gaeltachta. It costs only a few euro to bring Sunday Mass to senior citizens or people who are ill and the decision marks a new low in public service broadcasting. I hope the decision can be reversed and I call on RTE to reverse it.

It is not on the agenda.

We are discussing broad issues relating to the media.

We are discussing one item, the broadcasting of proceedings in the Oireachtas.

It is the wrong time to raise the matter.

It is never the wrong time to do the right thing.

I call on Mr. de Paor to reply.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

Many matters have been raised. Members queried the timing of Oireachtas Report, which has been raised on many occasions. I admit that I am one of the drunks or insomniacs who watch the programme but there is no denying the fact that it is late. There are several reasons and Mr. Conway will talk about the compilation of the programme. Those seeking editorial control of the programme can ask Mr. Conway about that too. I am not passing the buck on this matter and will take my responsibilities.

Realistically, the programme would not normally be ready until 10 p.m. if it was to reflect the proceedings of the day in parliament. It is also competing with other material. RTE takes its responsibilities to the political process seriously and I am glad that some Deputies and Senators have acknowledged that. We have always regarded it as an important part of our remit to cover politics seriously, comprehensively and in a number of ways and I hope we have improved our coverage over the years to address some of the matters that have been mentioned. However, Oireachtas Report is not the only thing we broadcast. What may seem a simple decision to cover an event, such as a press conference at Hillsborough related to the Northern peace process, requires a telephone call from me to the schedulers, who will say "Yes", "No" or "Maybe". The answer is, in fairness, usually "Yes" but it involves displacing another programme and that causes grief to people not interested in politics. We receive complaints if we do not cover such events but equally receive them if we do.

While such instances involve disruption of the schedule, members are talking about reorganising the schedule to take more account of politics. I would argue that RTE covers the important events in the political process through our main news bulletins. We have two main news bulletins in prime time and our current affairs coverage is also in prime time so there is a reasonable outing for politics in main news bulletins. We do a specialist programme at the weekends, with which I am sure members are familiar, such as "The Week in Politics". We can deal with "Oireachtas Report" in more detail in a moment. There are other programmes such as on Leaders' Questions, for example, which is an innovation dating back six or seven years. That was introduced at the time of the generous licence fee increase. It was one of the things we committed ourselves to doing at that time. It works; it is good television.

I understand members are interested in following up on that. To be honest, we have had problems even with the scheduling of Leaders' Questions, and that is a relatively predictable event. In its initial phase it overran consistently by quite an amount. Everyone agreed that there would be a set duration for Leaders' Questions; that it would start at a certain time and there would be a set amount of time per party leader and per response from the Taoiseach, but it overran by a great deal most days so we extended the programme. Then the Taoiseach changed and the length of sentences changed. We also lost the Technical Group so the programme became shorter again. That causes much grief in the scheduling process. That is just one example. I am just pointing out that it is not always a straightforward matter.

I have sympathy for Deputy White's aspiration to have Oireachtas Report on at six o'clock but I do not think that will happen in terms of competition with other possibilities. "Six One" news will cover politics at that time. Long may it remain there. I am happy as long as I have a "Six One" news in the schedule. As for the timing of "Oireachtas Report", it has never been satisfactory. It does pull in a reasonable audience. The last time I checked 65,000 or 70,000 people were watching it which I did not regard as bad at 11.55 p.m. or thereabouts. We offer it on our player, which gives the opportunity for watching it later.

I checked with our on-line people before the meeting and inquired how long it takes to turnaround Leaders' Questions, for example, to put it on the web. The answer is about an hour. I accept "Oireachtas Report" is on late at night so one might have to wait until the following morning, but it is available for playback and it has its place in the schedule. It would be unrealistic of me to promise that it will be on significantly earlier than where it is. "Desperate Housewives" has a bigger audience and that will probably always be the case.

I am not forgetting the other issues raised. Mr. Conway will go through some of the issues that determine the editorial policies dictating the content of "Oireachtas Report".

I must leave to go to the Seanad. Would it be possible to cover the proposal to broadcast Seanad affairs?

Mr. Cillian de Paor

I do not have an answer. That is the first I heard of the proposal. It is an interesting one. We will have to examine it and see what can be done. I have outlined the issues that arise in respect of Leaders' Questions. The same issues might apply as to how we might do it. We can come back with specific proposals on that.

If the Dáil proceedings are transmitted on Wednesday, the Seanad could be transmitted on Thursday morning. As the Leas-Chathaoirleach has indicated, we would change it a half hour either way to suit. We could do the same as the Congress in America where the leaders would have two minutes each, a Senator would have one minute for one question and I would have a five minute response. That would be it. It would last for one hour, starting at 10 a.m. or 10.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 11.30 a.m. It could be done on a pilot basis any way that suits.

Will Mr. de Paor report back to the committee on that?

Mr. Cillian de Paor

We will report back.

Mr. Michael Conway

I hope members will forgive me if I ramble all around the place. Many interesting questions were raised. I ask members to remember that while they are working in the Dáil we are working here to some extent, yet we are supposed to be objective bystanders. I come to work in the morning to run the Oireachtas unit. There are five of us, in addition to our two political correspondents. In addition there are people who work on "The Late Debate", "Drivetime" and "Today with Pat Kenny". We are on site and we are the specialists.

I am not bored with the Seanad or the committees. Essentially, we are looking for exactly the same as every other journalist, including my journalist colleague at the back of the room, namely, a news story. We operate to exactly the same agenda as the main news reporters in any organisation. If the Taoiseach is to be present for Leaders' Questions or Taoiseach's Questions, we will be there to record him. I disagree with anyone who might say we do not look after committees.

I have probably been in the Oireachtas for longer than most members and I was thrilled when the committee system took off with so much time and resources invested in it. It is a fabulous resource. It is a great way to cover issues that would never be covered in either House. It is a small issue, but the Chamber looks dreadful when there are only two Members present and we show a wide angle view. One does not hire Croke Park for a committee meeting. Perhaps the Houses should consider what business is done in the Chamber. One does not need 166 seats if one is teasing out a Bill. The committees have sorted out part of that problem in that the Bill is dealt with in a room and there is interplay between the Minister, the officials, a semi-State body or whoever. There is good cross-talk and it is very rewarding.

We cover committees a great deal every day. I do not say there is never a day when "Oireachtas Report" does not focus on a committee. My only complaint is that the Oireachtas does not really look at its schedule of business and give it a chance to be reported properly. RTE probably has far more journalists involved in political coverage than the newspapers, but if four committees are on between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. no organisation in the country can provide different reporters, and in our case editing machines and the back-up that goes with it for television and radio. We cannot do it if all the business is squashed in at the same time. If I have one request it is for members to give us a chance to report committees better by stringing them out. It would also help party members who want to attend more than one committee. That is very much a detail.

On the BBC coverage, the pictures of the Commons are superb. In all honesty, the main time we see it is when the Prime Minister is having his head beaten in by the Opposition and everyone is there roaring and cheering. One could say we are slightly more mannerly, but our version of that is Leaders' Questions, which is reported, and the House looks great. Everyone comes out of it well and the reporting is superb from a journalistic point of view.

One has to cover ministerial Question Time or the more mundane parts of legislation that are absolutely essential but there are only two or three Members of any one party in the House. I would simply include all of it, even Second Stage. That would help to get rid of the headache that occupies the minds of many Members.

I missed the point Mr. Conway made.

Mr. Michael Conway

Once one gets beyond the opening stages of a Bill or whatever it is, the level of attendance remains good while the Taoiseach or the Minister is in the Chamber. As far as I am concerned every Member has a right to speak on legislation, but once one gets beyond the main spokespersons I cannot see any reason business does not adjourn to a committee room. One could then get rid of the pictures of wide open spaces that irritate many Deputies.

What four committees met today which crowded the agenda?

In fairness, Mr. Conway has to concede the point that there should be a week of committee meetings when the Houses do not meet, as is done in the European Parliament. That point is well made.

What were the influential committees today that could not be covered?

Mr. Michael Conway

I will give the Chairman an idea. There are no committees on Tuesday morning, generally because Deputies do not arrive until lunchtime or early afternoon when the system gets going. It is a waste of time and a resource that could be used. Some committees are held on Tuesday afternoon but Wednesday is everyone's favourite day. Everything seems to cascade into Wednesday. We are like anyone else; CIE will not shift the entire population in one hour. We cannot cope with everything that is thrown at us in one short period. That is not a complaint. I am just making a suggestion. If someone considered matters from a systemic point of view and worked out how many sitting hours of the Dáil were involved then they could be strung out and everyone could have a chance to be there - Deputies, Senators and the press.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

A number of other issues arose. Members referred to camera angles and the shots used. Senator O'Toole mentioned-----

That was not me. I always use my Patrick Pearse side.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

That does not come under our aegis.

Mr. Michael Conway

The cameras are fixed and the reason, I presume, is related to this room. I have not had time to look around the room to see where the cameras are located but I suggest consideration is given to installing one or two additional cameras to help everyone.

I will explain the technicalities of editing for television. If I want to show two clips of a Minister or the Chairman, for example, when the Chairman makes a good comment on one issue before continuing to speak on another matter, I need to have different angles to jump from the first clip to the second. Otherwise, the picture will be distorted and it makes for bad television. For this reason, we do not show the clips if we do not have different angles. Unless I get better and more varied camera angles, I will have to drop the clip. In extreme circumstances, I will voice the speaker's comments, although that is not my preferred option. Television is actuality and should feature the speaker commenting in his or her own manner, rather than being paraphrased. Sometimes, however, we must paraphrase a speaker because the camera angles are rigid and static. I understand there are three cameras in this room. I suggest someone examine how they could be made more flexible.

Is it possible to broadcast Thursday's Order of Business in the Seanad on RTE or TG4?

Mr. Michael Conway

TG4 and RTE are different organisations.

In that case, would RTE broadcast it? It already broadcasts the Order of Business in the Dáil on Wednesday mornings.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

When the point was raised earlier we indicated we would consider the matter.

What will be the position when we change over to digital terrestrial television? As part of the change-over it may be possible to have a parliamentary television channel. As the delegation will be aware, we have been examining this matter for some time. Does it have any views on the issue?

Mr. Cillian de Paor

This is where I give my colleague, Mr. Coveney, an opportunity to do some work.

Mr. Rory Coveney

As members will be aware, the Broadcasting Act passed last summer made provision for a Houses of the Oireachtas channel. RTE does not have direct responsibility for the channel other than having an obligation to carry it on the public service multiplex, which is part of our remit, alongside RTE 1, RTE 2, TV3, TG4, and the proposed film channel. I understand scheduling and creation of the channel is a matter for the joint committee to determine. It is a complicated business. Mr. Conway could explain the editorial choices he must make on any given day to put together relatively small packages. To put together a whole schedule and service would require considerable expertise if one wished to make it a compelling offering for the public.

I understand a consultant was employed to examine this matter and that a number of my colleagues in Donnybrook contributed on some of the technical issues and so on. While I am not aware of the status of the consultant's report, RTE is open to assisting in any way it can should the joint committee wish to get back to us.

On the report into the feasibility of having a dedicated Oireachtas channel, we are waiting on the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to make a decision on whether it will fund such a channel in the current difficult financial climate. If it decides to run with the channel, will RTE be at the head of the queue to implement the recommendation or will it take the position that another broadcaster should do so?

Mr. Rory Coveney

We are obliged under the Broadcasting Act to carry the channel on the new public service digital multiplex channel, which must be up and running by the end of 2012 when analogue broadcasts are to be switched off. At that point, there will be much more room for channels. There is a major difference between operating a single channel and operating a large television service such as that run by RTE. The channel will be comparable to the BBC parliament type service and I understand it will be run from this committee.

Are members satisfied?

I am not satisfied that the midnight slot for "Oireachtas Report" will not be changed to an earlier slot.

On rescheduling of committee meetings, which are top heavy on Wednesdays and Thursdays, if we decided to hold more meetings, for instance, on Tuesday mornings, would RTE be favourably disposed to televising committee meetings? Would rescheduling committee meetings give us a better chance of having them televised?

Mr. Cillian de Paor

We are talking about two issues which, while not necessarily exclusive, are not the same. I am pleased with the positive nature of this exchange. If committee meetings were structured in a manner that made it easier for the number of journalists we have available to cover them all, more of them would feature in television broadcasts. That does not mean they would be televised live if that is what the Senator is implying.

They would be televised live.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

No, but we would cover committee meetings and bring them to as wide an audience as possible.

Mr. Michael Conway

Occasionally, a committee meets on Tuesday morning. Deputies and Senators will be more aware of being called in for early meetings than I am. We always cover such meetings. Doing so is a "no brainer" because we are standing around and have nothing to distract us from covering them. If we suddenly find a meeting is being held on Tuesday morning, we will cover it because the Taoiseach will not be out of the traps until 2.30 p.m. We have resources available at that point and a daily 1 p.m. bulletin and radio show which are thirsty for news. The chances of a committee having its proceedings broadcast are much better if it meets on Tuesday morning than on Wednesday afternoon.

A committee which discusses Dáil reform has been sitting for years and nothing much has happened. One of the proposals for Dáil reform is to meet at around 9.30 a.m. Would that be of assistance given that "Oireachtas Report" is not ready until 10 p.m. on most evenings? If proceedings commenced earlier in the day, I assume it would help the broadcasting unit to have a programme ready at an earlier time.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

Yes.

Such arrangements would also be more family friendly.

The practice of reading scripts in the Chamber has been criticised. The delegation will be familiar with the Adjournment debate which involves nothing more than swapping scripts. No interaction takes place and no questions are asked. If more interaction took place in the Chamber, would the proceedings become more interesting for viewers?

I was amazed to learn that "Oireachtas Report" is watched by 65,000 to 70,000 people, which is a significant number. What is the audience for the programme on Leaders' Questions?

Mr. Cillian de Paor

I am not sure I can answer the Deputy's question but I believe the audience for the Leaders' Questions broadcast is slightly higher than for Oireachtas Report.

Speaking as a former programme producer, I believe it would be better if the practice of reading scripts were to cease. It is dull and unnatural and people perform better when they speak without reading.

I answered a question concerning backbench Deputies not having access to the airwaves. I am conscious of this issue. In recent years, we slightly varied the Leaders' Questions programme to introduce a slot in which we made a point of interviewing backbench Deputies. We are aware of this issue and I know a number of radio programmes try to use backbench Deputies. The party political system can militate against this because we must often deal with nominated spokespersons. We are conscious, however, of the need to get backbench Deputies on the air.

The issue of TAM ratings was raised. Clearly, the issue of the time at which "Oireachtas Report" is broadcast is not unrelated to TAM ratings and I will not pretend otherwise. We are not completely obsessed with TAM ratings, nor is it the only issue which determines the placing of a programme. We do programmes based on importance as well as on what audience they draw. This will always be a matter of compromise. While I admit that to date "Oireachtas Report" has not been a winner in this game, other news and coverage of politics has been a winner.

We, as politicians, are interested in TAM ratings because we would like our constituents to see us on television.

Mr. Michael Conway

As editor of "Oireachtas Report", we are on the side of Members. However, until we get better audience ratings, we will not secure a significantly better slot, which is what we all want.

RTE is very good at promoting and advertising its own programmes. I suggest that, at the end of the nine o'clock news, RTE 1 should give a plug to what will be featured in Oireachtas Report, whether it is coverage of the proceedings of the Joint Committee on Transport, Leaders' Questions or another item.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

I will make a point of asking the head of television scheduling to promote "Oireachtas Report."

Is it possible to have more flexible scheduling for "Oireachtas Report". Must it always be shown at the same time? Sometimes it is shown at 11.30 p.m. or after midnight. Is it possible to show it earlier on the odd occasion?

Perhaps it could be shown consistently at midnight.

Then everyone would know.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

I understand the Chairman's point. I have had similar arguments about "The Week in Politics" programme and often about the "News on Two" programme, which gets moved around quite a good deal. I can only really go back to my previous answer, which is that news and current affairs, for all that we think we are more important than anything else, is not the only game in town in a television schedule. I take the point that at least a consistency of time, even if it were at a late hour, would be helpful.

The only point I would make is that when the Dáil is in recess and the committees are sitting, in July and September, the station gives good coverage to the committees and backbenchers who participate in them. I have heard that commented on. In fairness, RTE is not all bad.

Mr. Cillian de Paor

I thank the committee for the positive spirit.

We all will be on tonight.

One could always give less time to the Seanad and more time to the Dáil.

I just make the point about committees. I thank the delegation for coming along. We look forward to hearing from them on the points raised on which they might communicate with the clerk to the committee.

The joint committee went into private session at 5 p.m. and adjourned at 5.15 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 3 March 2010.
Barr
Roinn