Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is an urgent need to deliver sustainable public sector broadcasting and an independent media sector. The Future of Media Commission was clear in its report and recommendation that direct Exchequer funding is the best model for a modern public service media organisation. The financial scandals at RTÉ have rocked people's trust and confidence in the national broadcaster and the TV licence fee. The number of people refusing to pay the fee has soared in the aftermath of these scandals and 60 people per day are facing prosecution for non-payment. Some 13,000 people were summonsed before the courts last year, while no one has been held to account for the incredible waste of public money at RTÉ.

Concerns have been raised by some about direct Exchequer funding to the effect that it could threaten the independence of RTÉ but I do not agree that it would. There is precedent in other countries, which have moved from licence fees to general Exchequer-based funding. TG4, our own Irish-language national broadcaster, is already funded directly by Exchequer funding. It is legislated for in the Broadcasting Act 2009, has an independently appointed board and is scrutinised by the Oireachtas. We also have the media fund in Coimisiún na Meán, which supports public service media programming across various broadcasters, both public service media and commercial.

We need to draw a line under a system that is clearly not working. We need to put in place a sustainable and working system that is fit for purpose, fair to people and appropriate for the modern era.

The existing funding model is unfair on many levels. It is a regressive charge. Moving to general taxation means that nobody will have to pay a fee in the future and everyone will contribute towards public service media in accordance with their ability to do so. The public wants decisive action on this. Sinn Féin would scrap the TV licence and fund RTÉ and other public service media through direct Exchequer funding.

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