Sinn Féin motion to abolish TV licence 'a bid to divert attention' from drop in support

Motion to replace the licence fee with exchequer funding is likely to be defeated

Media Minister Catherine Martin said the Government is considering all options for long-term funding of RTÉ. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Sinn Féin has been accused of bringing a populist “comical” motion to abolish the TV licence fee in a bid to “divert attention” from a drop in support in opinion polls.

The party’s motion proposes to replace the licence fee with exchequer funding and waive penalties for anyone who has been recently caught not paying the fee.

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said instead of chasing people through the courts, the party wants direct exchequer funding to fund the national broadcaster.

However, there was little support for the main opposition party’s motion, which will be voted on Wednesday night and is likely to be defeated.

Media Minister Catherine Martin said Sinn Féin called only on Monday for Coimisiún na Meán to be put on a statutory footing.

She said: “I have good news for Sinn Féin on that front — as you have seemed to have missed the fact that Coimisiún na Meán is a full statutory body, established 12 months ago, under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act.” 

'Reckless and irresponsible'

She said abolishing the license fee with immediate effect, as Sinn Féin is proposing, is both “reckless and irresponsible”. 

She said such a move would require significant planning and the Government is considering all options for long-term funding for the broadcaster.

Labour TD Alan Kelly described the motion as “one of the most amateur” he has ever seen, saying it is not well written and “shows lots of holes”. 

He said the figures presented in the motion do not add up. He said he is wondering why Sinn Féin put down the motion and told the Dáil that it appears the party has been “spooked” as a result of a drop in support in recent opinion polls.

He said: “I know things haven't been going as good as normal for you, it seems like you've thrown out a dead fish on the table to try and divert attention in some way and get back to your old populist ways, which is rather unfortunate.” 

Mr Kelly also addressed Ms Martin and said her position on the future of funding the national broadcaster is not sustainable and appears at odds with Fianna Fáil’s view. Ms Martin has indicated she is in support of direct exchequer funding with safeguards while Tánaiste Micheál Martin has indicated he is against such a move.

Ms Martin told the Dáil that she agrees serious consideration needs to be given to the option of direct exchequer funding to replace the current TV licence fee and safeguarding measures have been put in place like has been the case in other countries. She said it would be “inappropriate and premature” to introduce any new funding model before the Government receives two reports commissioned that examine governance, culture, HR, and other matters in RTÉ, which are expected shortly.

Meanwhile, the RTÉ board acknowledges that it should have asked more questions about Toy Show the Musical and it is a “source of regret for each member”, chairwoman Siún Ní Raghallaigh is set to say to an Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday.

She is expected to tell politicians that the commercial risks associated with a musical of this nature were “grossly underestimated”.