Laois TD calls for TV license fee to be replaced and says current system is ‘broken’

Local Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley says that the current TV license system is not working, with over 350,000 households not paying.

Deputy Stanley is calling for the TV license to be replaced with a “fairer and more efficient funding model” and to end the current “unfair situation where only some pay.”

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Stanley said: “We should not have any further delay in reform of the licence fee and funding for RTÉ.

“The Government has dithered on this and cannot seem to reach an agreement.

“Sinn Féin’s motion proposes an end to the licence fee model and to be replaced with direct Exchequer funding for sustainable public sector broadcasting.’’

“RTÉ has already been given ad hoc bailouts without it being put on an accountable or properly sustainable basis.

“The financial scandals at RTÉ over the last 12 months have followed years of financial uncertainty.

“Public trust and confidence in our national broadcaster is, unfortunately, at an all-time low.

“We must restore that trust and confidence because we need public sector broadcasting, not just by RTÉ but also across the regional stations.”

Deputy Stanley highlighted the number of citizens who were brought before the courts last year for non-payment of the licence fee, saying 13,000 people was “a staggering number.”

“The current system is broken and we need to rebuild trust,” Deputy Stanley said.

“Sinn Féin is calling for RTÉ to be audited annually by the Comptroller and Auditor General and to be fully accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts.

“We have had enough of poor governance, appalling oversight, and appalling mismanagement of finances at RTÉ. It is essential that we undertake this reform.

“If RTÉ is to continue as a semi-commercial organisation, it needs to start behaving like one. It must increase its commercial revenue with proper oversight and management of it.

“In calling for the scrapping of the television licence fee, we are proposing that public service broadcasting be directly funded, including local, regional and independent broadcasters, in respect of their content that is deemed to be public sector broadcasting.

“We are proposing a fairer system. Funding public service broadcasting from general taxation will ensure everyone pays, with those on the highest incomes contributing the most as with any other public service.

“Sinn Féin is calling on Members to support our proposals to abolish the licence fee, put an accountable system in place and ensure we have a directly funded, neutral and independent public sector broadcasting system.”

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