asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his attention has been drawn to the very poor television reception in the Kilcrohane/Ahakista area of County Cork and when he will take the necessary steps to have same improved.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cork TV Reception
34.
Because of the mountainous nature of the terrain TV reception from the transmitter at Mullaghanish is poor in parts of west Cork and RTE therefore provided transposers at Castletownbere, Clonakilty, Glengarriff and Roscarbery. Although these transposers have improved the position, there are still many pockets in west Cork—Including the area mentioned by the Deputy—where RTE consider that TV reception is less than adequate. There are of course many other areas of this kind throughout the country. RTE say that it is not possible to deal with all areas, of poor or inadequate reception at the same time. This particular area will be dealt with as soon as possible within the resources available to RTE.
Would the Minister accept that in these days of multi-channel television a particularly strong case must be made for those people who live in the no channel areas? If the Minister accepts that would he further accept that whatever funds are reasonably necessary to remedy that situation should be spent at this stage?
RTE say that 98 per cent of the population get satisfactory reception of RTE 1 and that 90 per cent get satisfactory reception of RTE 2. I take the point raised by the Deputy. Very recently I asked RTE—because of some recent developments in modern technology—to examine suggestions that might alleviate the problems not alone in the black spots of west Cork but in other areas as well. I shall communicate with the Deputy as soon as I receive any results of that examination.
I thank the Minister.
Question No. 35 is postponed.