Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her response. I appreciate that she is a member of the committee and I am sure she took part fully in the debate and public hearings that were held on the discussions as part of the consideration of this. This is a cross-party report. I appreciate that it is not a unanimous report. It was published today. With regard to the timing of it, the Deputy can take it up with the committee at its next meeting. I cannot say whether or not it was rushed. I do not know. The Deputy can take that up with the Chairman of the committee and have a discussion at the next meeting of the committee.

There are a number of recommendations in the report. The Deputy highlighted the one relating to Revenue taking over responsibility for collecting the TV licence fee. Conscious of promoting fairness and equity, the committee recommends that the concessions that are currently available to social welfare recipients are retained in any future funding model and the broadening of the ability and applicability of the existing charging regime to capture every household consuming media regardless of the technology used. The committee says that such a new regime would incorporate all households, not just those in possession of a traditional TV. It also states that the introduction of a non-device dependent public service broadcasting charge is feasible, efficient and practical considering the increasing threats to the sustainability of the current licence fee revenue. There are many people who are not paying the TV licence fee for whatever reason. If everyone paid it, perhaps it could be reduced so it would be more equitable. Like a lot of charges, not everyone pays it and this was the purpose of the Minister asking the committee to examine these issues.

Regarding the Deputy's comments about Facebook and democracy, I certainly do not believe Facebook is a threat to democracy. It is a very important part of social media and widely used by all age groups across the country. I will certainly take the issues raised by the Deputy on board and relay them to the Minister. If it is eventually decided at Cabinet that Revenue should take over responsibility for collecting the TV licence fee, it must obviously come to the Dáil in terms of reform of the Broadcasting Act and there can be a full debate at that stage but at this stage it is only a recommendation of the committee that will be examined by the Minister when he has time to do so.

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