Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
834. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures in place, and planned measures, to encourage the development of home-grown Irish and Irish-language broadcast content, for both online and television media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14101/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objects of the public service broadcasters, RTÉ and TG4, are set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009. In pursuit of these objects, which include the need to establish and maintain non-linear or ‘online’ audio-visual services, the broadcasters are charged, inter-alia, with ensuring that programmes reflect the varied elements which make up the culture of the people of Ireland and “have special regard for the elements which distinguish that culture and in particular the Irish language”. RTÉ and TG4 publish detailed commitments on an annual basis setting out how they intend to meet their public service obligations and objects as set out in the Act. The extent to which the commitments entered into by the two public service broadcasters have been met is reviewed annually by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), which provides an iterative approach that is sufficiently flexible to ensure that the changing needs of Irish society continue to be addressed. RTÉ is also obliged to make specific amounts available each year for the commissioning of television and radio programmes from the independent production sector. Section 116(8) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 fixes the formula for determining the minimum amount to be paid into the Independent Programme Account each year by RTÉ. While considerable cost reduction measures have forced RTÉ to reduce its expenditure on commissioned programmes in recent years, the value of programmes from the independent sector commissioned by RTÉ remains significant with over €39 million spent in 2014.
Section 118(1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 outlines the objects of TG4 and section 118(3) provides that TG4 shall ensure that its programme schedules are primarily in the Irish language. In addition, section 120 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that RTÉ shall provide to TG4 programme material in the Irish language that will be the equivalent of one hour of daily programming throughout the calendar year.
In relation to radio and television services other than those provided by the national public service broadcasters, these are matters for the BAI, which is an independent statutory body.
In this regard, section 25 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that the BAI and its statutory committees, in performing their functions, shall endeavour to ensure that the number and categories of broadcasting services made available in the State best serve the needs of the Irish people bearing in mind their languages and traditions and their cultural diversity. The Contract Awards Committee makes arrangements to invite, consider and recommend to the Authority proposals for the provision of broadcasting services additional to the existing broadcasting services provided.
Commitments in relation to broadcast content on commercial and community broadcast services are the subject of contractual negotiations between the BAI and the relevant broadcasters. In submitting their licensing applications to the BAI, such broadcasters put forward commitments in regard to how they will deal with a range of broadcast issues including any public service commitments and, where appropriate, more specific commitments. If they are successful in their licence applications, these commitments form part of the terms and conditions of the relevant broadcaster's actual licence. This policy approach is seen as an effective means of leveraging public service type commitments from commercial broadcasters, in particular, while taking full account of the specific broadcaster’s business proposal.
The provision of non-linear or ‘online’ services by commercial and community broadcasters is a matter for the broadcasters concerned.
Under the 2009 Act, the BAI is also assigned responsibility for the development and administration of funding schemes designed to support the production and transmission of high quality programming based on Irish culture and heritage to be funded from the allocation of 7% of the net television licence fee receipts. The current scheme, Sound & Vision III, which specifically provides for the development of programmes in the Irish language, was launched in February 2015 and will see up to €24 million in funding being made available to television and radio programmes through five funding rounds to be rolled out over the next two years.
