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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Analogue television switch-off

Summary

Healy-Rae warns that thousands will lose television service when analogue broadcasting ends on 24 October and seeks practical assistance. The Taoiseach points to the national information campaign and advises people to switch to Saorview or other services.

Yes, but I have raised the issue before and it is a very important issue to thousands of people.

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Deputy Mattie McGrath is driving round south Tipperary in his van advising people what to do with their televisions.

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I advise them on more than that.

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I would like to hear what the Taoiseach has to say about this.

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

The Deputy is looking well since I met him in the street in Killarney. The Charities Act has been in operation since 2009 but the conditions are the subject of a debate in the Seanad tomorrow. The Minister supports that and I will have a response for the Deputy on the implementation of the conditions.

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, has carried out an extensive information campaign about the switch-over from analogue to digital television. I assume the Deputy is speaking about particular areas of the country that have had difficulty in getting television signals. This requires some technical adjustment. I will have the Minister's technical personnel address that question for the Deputy in respect of those areas, such as the Black Valley and a few others.

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Thousands of people currently have a service and on 24 October, they will not. We are not talking about those who had a problem in the past but who will have a problem after 24 October.

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

I am glad the Deputy raised the issue because Deputy Rabbitte does not have any control over this. The television screens across Europe will go blank on the analogue system on 24 October.

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The Taoiseach will not be able to see Angela.

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

That is why well known personalities have been out to advise people to change over now in good time so that for those who follow television, the arrangement can be made and when the switch-over comes, they will have Saorview and if they want to go further, they will have other options.

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