Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

3 o’clock

It is time to scrap the TV licence. In the wake of the financial scandals at RTÉ and more than 100,000 people who have not paid their TV licence, it is now time for it to go. Public support for the licence has collapsed and the idea that the State would chase thousands of people through the courts is, frankly, absurd. The Taoiseach has described the TV licence as outdated and has said that we need a new funding model that works. Sinn Féin's motion tonight proposes that the licence fee be scrapped and replaced with direct Exchequer funding to fund public service media and broadcasting in the State. I urge the Taoiseach to scrap the TV licence and fund public service broadcasting directly.

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