Feargal Quinn (Independent)

Yes, that is all I received. The copyright system is one I understand and while I support in principle the notion that authors be remunerated for the use of their works, I cannot support this Bill. This Bill will create a cumbersome and inefficient way of remunerating not only deserving authors but the few successful ones least in need of State support. We are told that the annual cost of running this scheme will be in the region of €1 million, and perhaps the Minister of State could confirm this.

If I were asked to spend €1 million in support of deserving authors, I would find a different system of doing so. A more efficient way to distribute the money would be to give the €1 million to the Arts Council and let it parcel it out. If it gave 100 awards of €10,000 each year, restricted to authors who would not otherwise earn anything like such an amount, far more would be done to spread knowledge and encourage the creation of works of art than would be done through an overly bureaucratic and wrongly focused scheme.

Some may say this action must be taken to get in line with EU directives but we have been out of line for 15 years and the sky has not yet fallen in. Others may argue that a public lending scheme is a moral matter based on the rights of the author, but I feel the institution of copyright was invented for the public good, not that of individual authors. There is copyright because it is in the public interest to give inventors and authors a financial incentive to create. Beyond the commercial use of works created by individuals there is a major benefit to be had in making works available free of charge through public libraries. Libraries are used, for the most part, by people who could never afford to buy the books they borrow. The use of libraries does not take money from anyone's pocket in that because the library must buy the books in its collection, authors will receive payment on this basis.

We are addressing this issue rather late in the day which gives us the advantage of examining such schemes in other countries. Without exception, a small number of authors who do not need the money get the lion's share while the vast majority get a pittance or nothing at all. Why should we seek to imitate schemes with such a bad track record when we could put the €1 million to better use? I argue that it is for the public good that we reward not those authors who are already wealthy but rather those who put their hearts and souls into writing, although without financial success. I propose that the €1 million be given to the Arts Council so that it can make 100 awards of €10,000 to deserving authors it recognises.