Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

While the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, unfortunately cannot be present due to a prior commitment, she has asked me to thank the House for the invitation to update it on the progress of the technical working group on TV licence reform and enhancement.

A healthy independent media sector is vital for our society in general, our culture and our democratic processes. The media, and public service media in particular, is a source of independent and trusted news and information, which enables dialogue and debate. It supports societal well-being through the provision of access to entertainment, sports and culture. It also supports economic activity, particularly in the cultural and creative sector. However, it is a sector that has seen significant transformation over the past number of years. Changes in technology have impacted not only how we receive and consume media content, but also the economics of the sector. They have impacted the ability of traditional media to attract the necessary commercial revenues to help sustain their activities. This is no less the case for public service media.

In recognition of the important role of the sector, and in light of the significant impacts it has faced, the programme for Government committed to the establishment of the Future of Media Commission to consider the future of print, broadcast, and online media and to make recommendations to Government to ensure public service media delivers value for money to the public and maintains its independence.In recognition of the important role of the sector and in light of the significant impacts it has faced, the programme for Government committed to the establishment of the Future of Media Commission to consider the future of print, broadcast and online media and to make recommendations to the Government to ensure public service media deliver value for money to the public and maintain their independence. The commission was also tasked with making recommendations on how the future funding of public service media could be made secure and sustainable. It is worth noting one of the commission’s key findings was that the Irish public places a strong value on public service content. The commission quite rightly noted the media sector is undergoing transformation with regard to technology, revenue models, competition and the impacts of disinformation. It also concluded the public funding model needs to be reformed to ensure a more sustainable future for the sector.

As Members of this House will be aware, the commission proposed the TV licence should be abolished and replaced with Exchequer funding. When considering the report of the Future of Media Commission, the Government decided not to accept this recommendation on funding and instead, to examine how the current TV licence system could be reformed and enhanced to provide a more sustainable funding model. To this end, the Government established a technical working group to examine the matter, including how the licence fee might be reformed to reflect changes in technology and viewing habits. The group was also mandated to examine a number of other key factors, such as issues arising with the current TV licence database and future requirements for the identified funding options; the scope of liability noting that liability currently falls on those with a "traditional" television set, while the ability to access public service content is almost universal; improvements and efficiencies to the collection and payment process for TV licences and possible changes to enforcement procedures to decrease the number of TV licence evaders.

The Minister is sure Senators will appreciate that reform of the TV licence is a complex issue with many dimensions and has required detailed analysis and consideration by the technical working group in order to arrive at an informed and considered report for further consideration by the Government. The group submitted its report to the Minister on 31 March. She is currently considering the detail of the report and will bring the matter to Government, as soon as practicable, for decision and publication. I am sure the Senator will appreciate the Minister cannot comment on the group’s report until Cabinet colleagues have had the opportunity to provide input.