125.— (1) In this Chapter “Joint Administration Committee” means a joint committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas to which those Houses have assigned the role of oversight of the broadcasting of the proceedings of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

(2) The Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas may establish, fund and provide a television broadcasting service to be known as, in the Irish language, Bealach Thithe an Oireachtais or, in the English language, the Houses of the Oireachtas Channel, which shall have the character of a public service, be a free-to-air service and be made available, in so far as it is reasonably practicable, to the whole community on the island of Ireland.

(3) The Houses of the Oireachtas Channel shall, as its principal function, provide coverage of proceedings in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

(4) Subject to the consent of the Joint Administration Committee, the Houses of the Oireachtas Channel may provide coverage of matters and events ancillary to proceedings of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

(5) The Houses of the Oireachtas Channel may provide coverage of the proceedings of—

(a) a local authority (within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2001),

(b) the implementation bodies (within the meaning of the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999),

(c) the legislatures of other jurisdictions outside the State,

(d) the institutions of the United Nations, the European Communities and the Council of Europe, and

(e) such other bodies and institutions as the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas considers appropriate.

(6) The Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas may enter into such contracts as are necessary to establish and maintain the Houses of the Oireachtas Channel.

(7) The Houses of the Oireachtas Channel shall not broadcast advertisements F172[…].