Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 32:

In page 30, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: "(13) The Minister shall within 180 days of the passing of this Act lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on provision for a reduction in the levy in recognition of the public information service provided by independent radio stations.".

I thank the Minister for facilitating engagement with her officials on our amendment since we discussed it on Committee Stage. When I was the Minister responsible for communications and during Committee Stage of this Bill, I argued, having regard to the costs associated with and the regulation of broadcasting, that we need to acknowledge the vital role of local radio in providing a public information service. I have given the Minister examples from the time of Storm Ophelia and the Beast from the East, which were in 2017 in 2018, respectively, when we did not have the Internet, electricity, television or mobile phone coverage. The only communications service to which people had access was the radio. It was not possible for any national broadcaster to give local information on what was happening by way of road closures, electricity supply, the closure of schools, etc. The local radio stations provided that service. Within the legislation, there needs to be an acknowledgement of that.

Having engaged with the Minister's officials on this, I note the legislation provides for a reduced levy for the local radio stations. The difficulty, however, is that local radio has its back to the wall. It has gone through considerable pressure and strain in the past couple of years as a result of Covid. The advertising budgets available to local radio stations have been squeezed and squeezed. I request, therefore, that the levy be suspended for 2023 while the new commission is being established. I am not asking for the levy to be abolished but for a reduction for one year and one year only, namely 2023, to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation facing the local radio station network across the country.

The cost of the reduction or suspension of the levy would be approximately €2.5 million for 2023. This is a small fraction of the substantial subsidy given to the newspaper industry through the VAT reduction, which was an acknowledgement of the impact on the print media owing to the loss of advertising revenue. There has been no acknowledgment of the local radio stations. I ask that we acknowledge the very serious financial challenges and the current financial environment of local radio stations across the country. They have been put under severe financial pressure. They are not being helped now by the pressure on advertising budgets across the board as a result of contracting budgets right across our economy. To acknowledge the vital public service role that local radio stations play, I request that the levy be suspended for 2023. I plead with the Minister to take on board this proposal. We do not want to divide the House tonight. Right across the House there are many Members who support the proposal. Let us come to an agreement to waive the levy in 2023 and start afresh in 2024, when the new commission will be established.

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