Payment of the TV licence fee has collapsed. Fewer than 300,000 licences have been sold so far this year. It is a significant drop on last year.

It is no surprise that far fewer people are willing to pay the licence fee. People are turned off by the financial scandals at RTÉ, the waste of public money, the culture of arrogance and the lack of accountability.

We need vibrant, diverse and financially sustainable public media in Ireland but the funding model, through the TV licence, is broken. People are voting with their feet. It is time to scrap the TV licence.

It is time for a modern funding model that strengthens public broadcasting and builds a thriving, secure and independent media sector in Ireland. Will the Government deliver that?

Will the Deputy tell me what his model is?

We have set it out in policy.

The Taoiseach's question was rhetorical, Deputy O'Rourke.

The bottom line is the licence creates significant revenue, notwithstanding that it has come down somewhat. The Deputy just cannot have it each and every way. Saying "scrap it" sounds good - it is populist; it is grand. However, the Government cannot be paying for everything all the time and that reality needs to sink in as well. The licence fee is there and it complements what the Government has invested in public service broadcasting and in public service media more generally through Coimisiún na Meán, various schemes and so forth. We all need a bit of a reality check here.

What about the report of the Future of Media Commission?

All questions have been put.

People cannot be looking for extras everywhere across the board-----

We can look at taxation.

----and saying we should just get rid of this model and do this and that.

The progress of our business is dependent on getting in all Members. It is not dependent on the Taoiseach asking rhetorical questions. They are not to be answered. Deputies' questions must be delivered within the minute available to them, including-----

The Taoiseach asked me a question.

It was rhetorical. Deputies can take such questions as rhetorical. Responding is not allowed.

It was a challenge.

I call Deputy Gannon.