Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
1569 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his view on the submission made by newspapers which claims that RTE is using its State subsidy provided through the licence fee to produce on-line content for its website and that this constitutes State aid and unfair competition with newspapers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33199/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have received a detailed written submission from National Newspapers of Ireland on a number of matters of concern to them including those raised by the Deputy, and I propose to meet with National Newspapers of Ireland in the near future to discuss these further.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out, inter alia, the principal objects and associated powers and obligations of the public service broadcasting corporations, RTÉ and TG4. The Act also imposes extensive reporting requirements on the two corporations in regard to the pursuit of their objects and compliance with relevant obligations. These reporting requirements are supplemented by ex-ante and ex-post Ministerial and regulatory oversight mechanisms that are being used, when and as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
On the specific issue raised by the Deputy, one of the principal objects of RTÉ under Section 114(1)(b) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 is to establish and maintain a website in connection with its services and the allocation of public funding, vis-à-vis the licence fee, in pursuing this public service object is fully in line with the provisions of the legislation.
Section 108 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 clearly envisages that the commercial activities undertaken by RTÉ in the exploitation of its commercial opportunities, for example on-line, shall be used to subsidise its public service mandate.
