Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am seeking a debate with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources regarding his announcement that he has received Cabinet approval to introduce legislation to enable An Post to access Sky and UPC subscription data. We are told that is part of a drive to reduce TV licence evasion, but it seems to me that the Minister is proposing to allow the rifling of private data to facilitate RTE. He is proposing to grant a power that not even the Revenue Commissioners possess.

The Minister is acting in keeping with the uncomfortably close relationship between the Government and RTE. A broadcast tax has been promised that would be levied on every household in Ireland regardless of whether people are accessing RTE television content. Not satisfied with that proposal, which seems unjust to me, the Government now wishes to reach into the data of private individuals to satisfy the bloated bureaucracy in RTE. Let us remember that RTE is back in surplus. It has had an increased allocation from the licence fee and is sitting on a massive landbank in a prestigious area of Dublin. It is proposing to go ahead with a massive development of the order of €350 million. It seems that special treatment is being given to RTE in these situations.

If a person has a private contractual relationship with a service provider, be it for television, online betting or a magazine subscription, the data created as a result of that relationship is private, unless there is an overwhelming public interest in releasing it, for example, in a criminal investigation. It should not be the business of RTE or An Post to snoop on the activities of private citizens for revenue-raising purposes. This crosses a line, so I would be grateful if the Leader could invite the past, present or future Minister - whoever he or she may be - so that we can debate this matter because major issues of concern have arisen.