Time for Oireachtas to bring broadcast service in-house
Time for Oireachtas to bring broadcast service in-house - The Labour Party
- Broadcasting staff left in limbo
Labour’s Eoghan Kenny TD has today called for the broadcasting service of the Houses of the Oireachtas to be made a fully public service, employing staff directly, following confirmation that PI Comms — the private company responsible for broadcasting Dáil and Seanad proceedings — has not bid for the new contract.
Deputy Kenny said the situation now demands urgent action from the Houses of the Oireachtas to protect broadcasting staff and ensure the long-term stability of the service.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The priority now must be the broadcasting staff. Having raised this issue at the Public Accounts Committee two weeks ago, the Houses of the Oireachtas must now take my suggestion on board. These are skilled professionals who have ensured that the public has access to transparent, high-quality broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings. They should not be left in limbo.
“We must make this a publicly owned service, where broadcasting staff are employed directly by the State. The Houses of the Oireachtas own the broadcasting equipment — they consider that equipment to be an asset. Yet the people who operate and maintain it, the ones who make sure the democratic process is broadcast to the public every day, are treated as external contractors. That cannot continue. We cannot have a situation where the equipment is considered an asset but the staff are treated as expendable.
“The Houses of the Oireachtas must take responsibility and act immediately to bring this service in-house. It’s time to end the uncertainty, to protect these workers, and to make the broadcasting of parliamentary business a fully public, state-run service once and for all.”