MORE than 90 per cent of the Republic will be able to receive Teiliffs na Gaeilge when broadcasting begins later this month. But the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, said it would be necessary to install a UHF aerial in some areas.

He was responding, at Question Time, to Mr Robert Molloy (PD, Galway West), who said that people in the eastern half of the State would be able to receive TnaG by making an adjustment to their sets, while for people in the west an aerial would be necessary at a cost of £45 to £60.

Mr Eamon O Cuiv (FF, Galway West) said TnaG should have been made available on the same frequency as RTE so that the majority of people in the west could receive it without the expense of an aerial.

Mr Batt O'Keeffe (FF, Cork South Central) asked about reports that RTE had stated it would have to "pull the plug" on TnaG after the first year because of the cost to it of facilitating the transmission of 360 hours of broadcasting a year. Mr Higgins said there was no basis for the reports.