Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of you for your contributions. I will ask my questions and then call on Deputies Dooley and Stanley. Perhaps the witnesses will take note of the questions as they are asked. There will probably be some for everybody in the audience.

My first question is for the representatives of the Department and the BAI regarding the levy order. I note that the last levy order was made in 2010. Have there been any reviews of that order over the past seven years, given that the BAI has been struggling to maintain a sufficient level of working capital? A concern has been raised by RTE about the fact that the BAI levy will be partly funded by the television licence fee receipts. Will that result in a further reduction of TV licence fee receipts for the public service broadcasters? The Department's representatives might wish to reply on that genuine concern. On the issuing agents appointed by the Minister, what function will they have if they do not have any powers to bring proceedings for offences under sections 147(3) and 148? How will that work?

I thank the representatives for their presentations on the retransmission fees and on what is happening internationally. Would it be fair to say that there is a mutual benefit between the broadcasters and the platforms? A survey of members of the public on how they would react if they no longer had access to free-to-air services has been done. Some of them said they would want a discount. That is where the risk of the negotiations arises. There will be many risks involved. I note TG4's concern about the electronic programme guide, EPG, and the priority given to channels in the event of transmission fees being charged. How would that impact? Is it possible that other TV platforms could move public service broadcasters down the priority list? What safeguards could be put in place in that regard, because that is a huge part of our public service broadcasting obligations? People are already paying for their television licence, so they might feel that they would be paying twice. The witnesses alluded to this. Some of the customers in the survey said they would like a discount. They are already paying for it in one respect. Perhaps they would comment on that. Who would calculate the transmission fee or how would that happen? Is there a view on that if transmission fees were in place?

Perhaps the witnesses will bank those questions as I will now call on Deputy Dooley.