Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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43. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he intends to take on board the recommendations of the joint Oireachtas committee in its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill in relation to introducing the audiovisual content levy; when he intends to publish the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52538/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I would like to recognise the comprehensive pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill undertaken by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport.

I am currently examining the 85 recommendations made by the Committee in their pre-legislative scrutiny report of 17 September 2025 with the view to determining which recommendations should be incorporated into the final draft of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill.

The Bill will be published in the coming months when the necessary detailed drafting is complete, including those drafting changes necessary to incorporate recommendations made by the Committee.

The Committee made 6 recommendations specifically directed towards the content levy, one of which (Recommendation 79) recommends that a content levy should be introduced in line with the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. While I am currently scrutinising the detail of those recommendations, I wish to make clear that my position regarding the content production levy has not changed and that I will not be accepting Recommendation 79 made by the Committee.

As I have previously indicated to the Deputy (PQ No. 1073 of 2025), I consider that the introduction of a content levy risks placing an additional financial burden on Irish households already experiencing cost of living pressures, particularly in the context of recent international developments. It is for that reason the Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill includes an added layer of protection for the Irish consumer by providing that Coimisiún na Meán may only impose a content production levy on broadcasters and video-on-demand providers following a direction of the Minister. I have no intention of issuing such a direction until I am satisfied that a content levy would impose an undue burden on Irish households.