Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Would it be correct to state the plans to bring in the broadcasting charge have been long-fingered or shelved at this stage? To judge from the Minister of State's response, that is the information I can take from it. As the Minister of State mentioned in his reply, the Minister has considered it in the context of the State broadcaster and the funding for it. Are the Minister and the Department fully content with the amount of money that is going into the State broadcaster from the television licence fee? Are they satisfied it is being put to good use by the State broadcaster? It is beyond me to understand it when independent television and radio programmers can produce programmes in some instances with one-tenth of the staff used by the national broadcaster to so do. I ask whether the Minister of State is content with the manner in which the money is being spent within RTE. Moreover, I ask him to indicate, in a simple "Yes" or "No" response, whether the planned broadcasting charge has been shelved.

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