The Minister for Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, has sanctioned an extra £2 million in funding for TG4, the Irish language television channel.
This brings to £18 million the station's budget for this year - almost double the funding approved when it was established by Ms de Valera's predecessor, Mr Michael D. Higgins. Over 730,000 viewers are now tuning in each day, according to the station, which marks its fifth anniversary this Wednesday.
Branded at the time of its initiation as an employment opportunity for "200 bearded zealots in Comrade Higgins's constituency", the station has been an "outstanding success" to some, and a "disappointment" to others who had lobbied for it. Several observers within the Gaeltachta believe it is not an Irish language station but a bilingual station.
However, the independent film-maker and former member of the RT╔ Authority, Mr Bob Quinn, adopts a very positive approach in his book, Maverick, published recently by Brandon Press. He says it has emerged as the only Irish television channel which "can unambiguously claim to represent the interests and tastes, as well as the intelligent idiosyncrasies, of the Irish people".
It has survived everything and "provides a crucial alternative to RT╔", Mr Quinn says, although the RT╔ practice of "cherry-picking the TG4-commissioned programmes for next to nothing" is a bone of contention for independent programme-makers.
TG4 describes itself as representing "the most positive and high-profile Government policy for the Irish language for the past 50 years", and notes that its programmes have achieved national recognition and attracted awards at home and abroad. It cites its news service, Nuacht TG4, and its soap opera, Ros na R·n, as having broad appeal beyond traditional Gaeltacht areas.
The news service has caused some confusion by changing its transmission times several times. However, it has proved to be far more energetic and versatile on a regional, if not national, level than its State counterpart. Its series of political polls, carried out in each constituency with MRBI, has been a valuable barometer of the performance of public representatives as another general election looms.
TG4 employs a core staff of fewer than 60 at its headquarters in Baile na hAbhann, Connemara, and emphasises that it is a public service broadcaster, viz, its decision to broadcast live coverage of the Dβil Public Accounts Committee in 1999. However, its real significance is the £12 million annual investment in original programming, commissioned from the independent sector.
Among 350 jobs generated by this over 100 are in Ros na R·n, which is jointly produced by Eo Teilif∅s in Spiddal, Co Galway, and Tyrone Productions.
Eo Teilif∅s headquarters in Spiddal provides the set for the soap, which is filmed under the watchful eye of executive producer Maire N∅ Thuathail.
Ms N∅ Thuathail is something of a phenomenon herself, though she doesn't like to talk about it. She studied agriculture, and started out teaching, before moving to Bord na Gaeilge (now Foras na Gaeilge). By a happy accident, she became involved in film, through Coco television, and one of her early ventures was Mire Mara, a puppet series which won the best children's programme award at the Celtic Film Festival in 1996. She won the Young Business Woman of the Year Award in 1997, and is regarded by her peers as having enormous vision and drive. She has a strong commitment to her staff, as reflected in the educational and training dimension to her company.
Of Ros na R·n, she says its success is largely due to a very loyal, energetic and commissioned cast, crew and production team. There is also a strong research team which "keeps it rooted" in reality. "We get good reviews, good audience feedback, the ratings are going up, but you are only as good as your last show."
When Cathal Goan left to return to RT╔ last year he was replaced by Pol ╙ Gallchoir - then head of Raidi≤ na Gaeltachta - as the new ceannaire.
"Every team leader brings a different perspective and a new energy," Ms N∅ Thuathail says. "In general, television by its very nature attracts a high degree of mobility and that is what keeps it dynamic."
Foinse, the Irish language weekly, devotes a special edition to TG4 this week. The station's decision to build up its sports coverage, and to broadcast GAA matches at club level, was a "very astute move", according to Uinsionn MacDubhghaill, contributor to the newspaper. He also singles out children's programming which provides an alternative for parents who have decided to raise their families through Irish.
That said, he is critical of a lack of consistency in dubbing, and a tendency towards "sloppy Irish" on other programmes.
"By its very nature, TG4 is going to have an enormous influence on Irish as she is spoken over the next decade," he says. "So the station has to show a greater responsibility towards the language - as the BBC has done with English." To date, TG4 has no Irish language policy. The initial opposition to the station may have forced it to focus on viewing figures, and to take the populist approach, Mr MacDubhghaill acknowledges. "It can afford to relax now and stand on its own two feet."
