“I welcome the news that RTÉ’s longwave service is to be extended to at least 2017 but I would call on RTÉ to now abandon the idea of dropping it altogether”, says Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael TD for Limerick and Member of the Oireachtas Transport and Communications Committee.
“I have been clear in my view that RTÉ’s longwave service should be maintained for the benefit of the Irish abroad. This service benefits thousands of Irish people living in the UK, it is an essential link with Ireland and constitutes a crucial part of RTÉ’s public service remit.
“In the new year I would like to see RTÉ again coming before the Oireachtas Committee to discuss why they have decided to take the decision to delay the shutdown rather than abandon the idea altogether.
“As a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I am aware of the great value of the longwave service and I feel passionately that it should be retained. The cost of the service is €250,000 per year, a small sum in comparison to some of the colossal salaries paid by one of our main state agencies.
“This Government is very focused on the diaspora, as evidenced by the appointment of a Minister for the Diaspora. I feel that the closure of the longwave service would do a grave disservice to the Irish living abroad and that would still be the case in 2017.”