I understand it is the Leader's intention to invite the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to address the House in the near future. Perhaps that might be the occasion for us to get the opportunity to renew our discussion on the funding of public service broadcasting. The programme for Government made a commitment to review the funding of public and independent broadcasting and it is important we see change in this area. The independent broadcasters of Ireland have spoken clearly and have voiced legitimate concern about the fact that RTE has an unfettered commercial mandate and enjoys the lion's share of public broadcasting moneys. Some 80% of the sound and vision fund which was set up to assist independent broadcasting companies ends up going back to RTE. RTE enjoys a complete monopoly of the budget, yet there is hardly a politician in the House who, for example, does not tune in regularly to the death notices on local radio, to coverage of local sports and cultural events or to programmes catering for local cultural taste. If there is one thing of which we can all be sure, it is that in the past 20 years or so local radio has contributed hugely to quality of life in this country.

And death.

Indeed. Local radio stations claim the loyalty of up to two thirds of the public. I would like to see early movement on this issue. A report is due from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland in April, after which it is proposed to replace the licence with a household broadcasting charge. However, we should be looking at this in terms of it being a public broadcasting charge and there should be a much fairer divvying out of resources to reflect the diversity in the country and the particular and special contribution played by local media.