Broadcasting legislation
Deputy Eamon Ryan referred to committee recommendations on broadcasting reform, including transmission fees and support for Irish media. The Taoiseach said the legislation would be published in the current parliamentary session.
Yesterday, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment sent its report on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill, which included a recommendation that RTÉ would be given the right to set transmission fees for cable and satellite operators. It follows on the earlier Oireachtas committee report before Christmas which set out a range of measures, including that one, and to provide a pot of €50 million for Irish media, not just RTÉ, changes to the licence fee system among other measures. RTÉ is just publishing its new strategy and Irish media, local radio and newsprint, as well as other television stations, is in real crisis.
Does the Government believe it needs to change the nature of funding for public service broadcasting? Will it act on it quickly and bring the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill back into the Dáil to ensure we can include this and other measures to change the nature of public service licensing? What is the Government's commitment to that and its sense of urgency on how we fund Irish media?
