Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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480. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he will publish the revised general scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2023; if he will provide empirical data to back his statements that he will not be implementing all of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Culture, Communications and Sports recommendations on the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64400/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill was approved by Government on 8 April 2025 and subsequently published.

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 and my Department is considering those recommendations.

The Committee recommended (Recommendation 79) that a content levy should be introduced in line with the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. As I have previously indicated in response to Parliamentary Question 52538 of 25, I will not be accepting that recommendation. 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 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 not constitute an undue burden on Irish households.

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