Help at hand as digital TV switchover approaches

WITH about 250,000 households needing to take action before next October if they want to keep a TV signal, several rural organisations are getting involved in providing information and knowledge to assist with the switchover.

Through the national voluntary organisation, the Wheel, Irish Rural Link, Age Action Ireland, GAA Social Initiative, the Irish Farmers Association, ICMSA, and the National Network of Community Services projects will be involved.

Anyone who currently relies on an aerial to watch TV will have to be ready for digital TV by October 24.

In order to ensure that no TV viewers are left without a service when the national analogue TV service switches off, a countrywide programme will be launched in April by the Wheel, offering additional assistance.

Those believed to be least likely to make the switchover to digital TV are likely to be older, have less formal education, be farmers or living in rural areas, be disadvantaged (by disability etc), living alone, and to have few social networks, according to Irish Rural Link.

Séamus Boland of Irish Rural Link said: “We will harness the goodwill, energy and ‘can do’ spirit of people involved in organisations that already work with, and provide essential services to, the target group, many of whom are isolated. It’s about caring for our neighbours. We will assist people at a local level in ensuring nobody in their community gets left behind in the switchover”.

Information is available at www.goingdigital.ie, through LoCall 1890 940 980 (English language) and 1890 940 970 (Irish), and through information booklets in post offices and Citizen Information Centres.