Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

That will be a subject for debate during the course of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill. The licence fee was put in place and has been maintained because of the commitment successive Governments of all shades had to the concept of public service broadcasting here and a national broadcaster. While technologies may converge and change, and circumstances may change as well, I presume there would be a reluctance on all sides of the House to move away from the concept of the licence and pay specifically for the public service element of our national television services. That is a debate we will have because circumstances will change.

See this speech in context