Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland has made that case in respect of the television licence fee. I am aware of the huge contribution made by the independent broadcasting sector. Deputy Moynihan referred to independent local radio, which is of critical importance. In 1988 or 1989, the Deputy's colleagues introduced a new legislative basis for independent broadcasting which gave rise to a degree of controversy at the time but which has since bedded down quite well. We now have a lively public sector alongside an equally lively private sector in broadcasting. We need to maintain both sectors.

RTE has had a dual funding model since the early 1960s. The decision to establish a sound and vision fund was one change in that regard. A percentage of proceeds from the licence fee is made available under the fund for programming that is not directly produced by RTE. I support the sound and vision fund and we have recently announced a new phase of it. The question of redistributing revenue from the licence fee away from the public sector to include the private sector is more difficult to justify. If we are to have a robust public broadcasting sector, it needs stable funding. However, I am open to discussing the issue with the IBI.

I am uncomfortable with the idea of the zero sum, that we have to take from one to give to the other. I would rather see the private broadcasters having the comfort of knowing they can have access to advertising revenue and can function in the marketplace alongside RTE and that similarly RTE has the stability of the revenue from the licence fee. However, because we are in a relatively small country of 4.5 million people, it will never be realistic for RTE to be like the BBC, solely funded from the licence fee. I cannot see that being realistic, certainly not in the short term.