Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and all our witnesses, several of whom I met the last time around. Many of the same issues are coming up.

I will come back to Dr. Flynn's point on what the role of media is, which is the starting point. It is a critical underpinning of our democracy and we need to see it as a public good in the same way we see health and education. That is why some of us favour a particular funding model that we have funded in the same way rather than an antiquated one. I accept the boat has sailed but I want to specifically deal with the streaming levy, which relates to Dr. Flynn's point is about cost.

Regarding streamers, I am probably correct that the streaming charges in Ireland are generally higher than in most European countries. Their ability to absorb should be greater. I would like the committee to make a recommendation to maintain the current position with regard to streaming levies. It is important we try to maintain that. In the context of Dr. Flynn's point, and as everyone else has said, it was a foolish move not to allow that to go ahead.

Moving onto the general question, the quantum is not big enough but there is a debate on the funding through 7% of the licence fee and the question of whether RTÉ and TG4 should be allowed to access it. The witnesses are correct; TG4 is a publisher-broadcaster. RTÉ will be increasingly going down the publishing-broadcasting route, particularly if there is a requirement for at least 25% independent production. If we were to propose to allow RTE and TG4 to compete for the media fund, would we do it by increasing the 7%?

I will put the question: are people happy to have it at 7% with RTÉ and TG4 excluded, or with the 7% was increased, allowing RTÉ and TG4 to come in?