Replacing the TV licence with a flat charge for every household in the State would support Irish journalism on a “much wider basis” than just RTÉ, according to a former Communications Minister.
Fine Gael has again called for the TV licence to be scrapped in favour of a ‘public service media charge.’
In its submission to the Future of Media Commission, the party said the €160 fee should instead be collected from every household in the State through increased VAT or property tax.
The funds would not just go to RTÉ but would be shared with other local and national outlets on a much wider basis.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, the former Fine Gael Communications Minister Richard Bruton said the plan would put an end to TV Licence fee evasion.
“The situation is now that ordinary workers are paying this charge but many are evading the charge,” he said.
“There is about 15% who don’t pay and there is another 10% that don’t own a television.
“The idea that, in this day and age, we would base a tax on ownership of a TV, when the reality is that people are consuming on multiple different platforms is simply not a sustainable way to continue to support a really important sector.”
Irish media
Deputy Bruton said the plan also calls for changes to copywrite law to make platforms like Facebook and Google pay for the content they carry.
He said it would reduce the focus on RTÉ and support journalistic outlets right across Ireland.
“The reality is that we are now going to move from just supporting one outlet to supporting journalism on a much broader basis,” he said.
“You may say people don’t want to pay for journalism but we all need trusted reliable sources of information that can deliver and we saw this during the pandemic.
“So, if we want this service and if we want our politicians held to account, we have to be willing to find a way in which a sector whose business model is being dramatically undermined can be allowed to survive and thrive.”
Progressive taxation
Also on the show, former Dublin West TD Ruth Coppinger said Irish media and journalism should be supported through “progressive taxation on wealth.”
“What Fine Gael is proposing once again is to come to ordinary workers, homeowners, pensioners, people with disabilities with a flat-rate tax which they would put on the existing property tax or else increase VAT and I don’t think that that is fair or just,” she said.
She questioned why Fine Gael rejected the idea of a digital tax when “huge media corporations that are making vast profits.”
“Well, 13% of people are apparently evading the TV license and 11%, according to their submission have no television,” she said.
“Why should be people who don’t have a television pay a TV licence?
“It is assumed that they are downloading and having access to RTÉ services – I wouldn’t make such an assumption.”
You 8can listen back here:
