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

The goal of the report is to find a sustainable and fair funding model that responds to the changing technological landscape. We have moved away from the time when there was a black-and-white TV licence and a colour TV licence, to people watching TV on their laptops or hearing it on their phones. We need a sustainable model if we are to have public sector broadcasting. A detailed analysis was carried out and, to be fair to the Minister, she only received the report a number of weeks ago. She has to consider something dramatic, because RTÉ and other public service broadcasters play a significant part in the lives of Irish people and they are vital to democracy. One does not want to make dramatic changes to them and regret those changes at leisure. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, is not somebody to hang around or kick the can down the road. I imagine she will bring a detailed response to the Cabinet. The other Ministers will all have an interest in that. I cannot say what is in the report, primarily because I have not been shown it either. I think there will be a response from the Cabinet when the report is produced. There is a strong desire to make sure we continue to fund our public sector broadcasting, which is vital to our society.