Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

One of the contentious issues with the licence fee has been the failure rate with collection, the truancy rate if we want to call it that. It is estimated at about €30 million to €40 million. A document prepared by this committee contained proposals on the future funding of public service broadcasting. It examined putting control of collecting the licence fee into the hands of the Revenue Commissioners and some preliminary discussions took place between the Minister's Department and the Revenue Commissioners. That might pre-date the current Minister, but perhaps he might enlighten us as to whether those discussions have concluded and what conclusions might have been reached.

Moving to broadening the net for collection, we must examine the consumption of content, to use a rather crude term. As the Minister knows, the strict definition of a television is what attracts the requirement to have a licence. There have been major changes in technology and demands for content and much public service content is now viewed on screens not attracting the need for a television licence. Has consideration been given to broadening the definition to ensure we are capturing the consumption of public service content and that it is being paid for? There is always some debate about the television licence and the impact of raising the cost. On the other hand, however, we must take into account how much people are now willing to spend on technology and subscriptions to Netflix and various other pay-per-view channels through Sky etc.

I still think the licence fee represents good value for money for what is being created. It is often misrepresented that the licence fee is going just to RTÉ. Most of it does at the moment, but the independent production sector does well out of the sound and vision scheme. That creative sector is important for the maintenance of our culture and for employment, and it could do much better if more money was available. The Minister will also be aware, as we have discussed this before, of my wish, and that of the House in a recent Private Members' Bill, that public service news and current affairs, often created by the independent radio sector, be brought under the remit, or at least the funding model, of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

There is a broader space where we can protect and preserve the quality of that content and ensure it is protected in future. We must face up to the challenges associated with the business owned by our visitor to Dublin today, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg. He is on a public relations tour and, I am sure, he is hoping to influence the legislation being drafted by the Minister. I am also sure, however, that will be done independently without being influenced by the public relations spin and lobbying that will undoubtedly be hot and heavy. It would be useful to hear the Minister's views on these matters and the television licence in particular.