Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 39 would require an coimisiún to make a report setting out concrete steps for how media services providers established in Ireland, including RTÉ and TG4, can make their services widely available on an all-island basis.

It should be noted that RTÉ and TG4 are currently obliged, insofar as possible, to provide their services to the whole of the island. As identified in the amendment, key to the goal would be all media service providers obtaining or retaining the rights to programmes in two jurisdictions, in Ireland and in the United Kingdom.

Given the country-by-country nature of how rights related to media production are bought and sold, including the important part this plays in pre-financing productions in Ireland, this would lead to a significant increase in cost in providing, or loss of funding for, many different kinds of programmes. Accordingly, while I am sympathetic to the aim, I cannot accept the amendment.

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