Cable Television Charges
Bruton questioned the 15 per cent levy on cable charges benefiting RTÉ, citing its subsidiary’s market dominance and profits, and called it a concealed tax and anomalous. Burke said the fee and grant arrangements, set in 1974, should be reviewed and that he would consult the Minister for Finance before announcing a decision.
asked the Minister for Communications his views on whether the 15 per cent levy on cable television charges which are collected for the benefit of RTE is justifiable in view of the dominant position of RTE's subsidiary in this market, and its very high profits in the Dublin market.
Comment on this
I have been giving consideration to the issue raised by the Deputy. Both the level of the cable licence fee and the payment of a grant to RTE equivalent to the amount of revenue collected in respect of cable licence fees, less collection costs, stem from decisions taken in 1974 on recommendations made by the Broadcasting Review Committee. Given developments in cable and in RTE since then I believe that these matters should be reviewed and I will shortly be consulting with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, on both these matters.
Comment on this
Does the Minister accept that this is effectively a concealed tax on the public? Does he accept, as the cable committee of 1984 suggested, that it is an anomalous situation?