Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is nearly ten years since the public service broadcasting charge was due to be introduced. Since then, we have had committees, commissions and all sorts of research, time and money invested into this question. Successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments have not had the political courage to make a call on this. In 2020, the Government again handed over the job to the Future of Media Commission, which was initially set up to look solely at the licence fee. Its remit was then expanded to cover the future of media generally, thus giving political cover when the Government inevitably did not accept the commission's recommendations for direct Exchequer funding, which is Sinn Féin's policy proposal tonight.

The commission's report, which cost the taxpayer €240,000, has been gathering dust since 2022. Meanwhile, RTÉ has been an absolute shambles and there is still no clear funding pathway to ensure the survival of public service media, be that TG4, RTÉ or other broadcasters and media which provide public service content. We need a reformed system that will secure funding while ensuring accountability, transparency and value for money for all media in receipt of direct Exchequer funding.

Every other week in the news we hear the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, either arguing the case for this or in disagreement with other Ministers about it. It does not bode well that this much friction on the issue continues in Government. There even seem to be arguments and disagreements on this issue between Ministers in the same party. The Government needs to get a handle on this. The Future of Media Commission's recommendation was for direct Exchequer funding and that is precisely what we are proposing in our motion. Members of the Government need to stop fighting behind the scenes like ferrets in a sack and support Sinn Féin's proposal - and indeed that of their own Minister for media - for direct Exchequer funding.

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