2026-05-07

4. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport following recent reports regarding the raising of the Coimisiún na Meán levy on radio by nearly 70% from 2024, the way in which he plans to support local and independent radio broadcasters with these unexpected rises. [33369/26]

I would like to hear if the Minister has any response to the recent radio broadcast levy, which has gone up nearly 70% since 2024, and if he or his Department has any plans to support local radio with this very steep levy increase.

A diverse, independent and trustworthy media sector, operating in line with appropriate media codes and rules, plays an important role in supporting our democracy, fostering our national identity, heritage and culture, and ensuring access to free and impartial news and current affairs. However, it is equally important that any supervision or regulation of the sector is also independent. As such, the independence of Coimisiún na Meán is provided for under section 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, as amended. There is a long-standing principle that costs of regulation are met by regulated sectors, particularly commercial operators. Therefore, provision is made in section 21 of the Broadcasting Act for the imposition of levies to meet the costs of media regulation, supervision and licensing. The Act also vests authority and responsibility for the levy in Coimisiún na Meán. As such, as Minister, I have no role in either determining the cost of regulatory activities or setting the levy. I did, however, meet with two commissioners from Coimisiún na Meán last week in order to seek clarity from Coimisiún na Meán regarding its approach to implementing its statutory responsibilities with regard to the levy. It was also an opportunity for me to impress upon Coimisiún na Meán the need to take the opportunity to more clearly communicate such matters to its stakeholders and the wider public. I am conscious of the very important role independent broadcasters and outlets play in the wider media sector, particularly at local and regional level. The importance of this role is recognised by ongoing support which is provided to the sector through a range of schemes, funded by both Exchequer and television licence revenues, which are designed to support the continued provision of a diverse range of public service content to audiences. Between 2020 and 2025, the commercial radio sector was supported with over €13 million in funding through Sound and Vision. In addition, the number of support schemes has increased significantly over recent years. In 2026 to date, the commercial radio sector has been awarded €4.3 million under a range of media fund schemes. This represents a very significant increase in funding for the sector and shows the Government's commitment to supporting independent media in Ireland.

I am heartened to hear that the Minister has at least spoken to Coimisiún na Meán about this but I do not believe that explaining to it that it needs to communicate to its stakeholders is enough in this regard. I also do not believe that the argument of an independent regulator is reason enough for the Minister to wash his hands of this issue. As he has said, local radio is a crucial part of the fabric of Irish society. The services that local radio offers to community cohesion, democratic participation, entertainment and culture within this country are so valued by so many members of Irish society, yet this is an industry and a sector that are under great pressure and have been for many years now as we have seen change of ownership and the pressure of disruption from the tech sector. I do not believe it is enough to simply say that the regulator has the right to impose the levy and therefore it can. It is disproportionate compared with the others. Not only that but Deputy O'Donovan is the Minister for the media, and this goes beyond just asking the regulator about it. What is the Minister doing to support the radio sector in this complex situation?

I have already outlined what I have been doing. The Deputy cannot have her cake and eat it. It is not that long ago that her party and the party that sits beside it were very quick out of the traps, when I asked a question about Coimisiún na Meán, to remind me of my role under the Broadcasting Act and the independence of Coimisiún na Meán. The Deputy cannot have her cake and eat it. She cannot come in here one day and tell me to keep my nose out of Coimisiún na Meán and the second day come in here and tell me to tell Coimisiún na Meán its job. That is opposition politics for opposition's sake. The Deputy is good at it, fair play to her, but I remind her of what her party and the party that sits beside it said. This is a statutory organisation that is independent of the Government and that makes its decisions independent of the Minister and of any political interference. The Deputy wants it both ways but she cannot have it both ways.

That interference, which is how I would describe it, or attempted interference, on the Minister's part was very different from this situation. His is a Government that has been in power for many terms now and it has built and established a statutory body to regulate this sector, so it is beyond me that he can say he has nothing to do with it. It is the Minister who is trying to have his cake and eat it by saying that this regulator can just be established and then let run. It is not interference to examine and engage with his agency on a disproportionate levy on radio of 2.8%, compared with TV at 1.2%, online services at 1.25% and streaming at 0.5%. This is an industry that, as I have said, is already under pressure. The Minister is the one who is trying to have his cake and eat it. He is trying to say he does not have anything to do with this when we know that independent local radio is being crushed. Meanwhile, the online sector, which is pumping out misinformation that local radio is trying to combat, which has taken all the ad revenue and which the Minister's Government is failing to regulate, is cleaning up.

Again, nice try. The Deputy fails to recognise one fact, and I think she was connected previously to the tech sector so she will know the role that Coimisiún na Meán has played with regard to the tech sector. Only this week Coimisiún na Meán has announced further investigations into the tech sector. The Deputy is right: this Government has been in office for a long time. It has been in office thanks to the votes of the people of the country. We have won successive elections. We have put together programmes for Government, manifestos and mandates that the people have voted for. We have also put forward legislation through the House that the Deputy's party when it was a lot smaller and the party beside it when it was a lot bigger supported in relation to Coimisiún na Meán. If the Deputy is claiming people are washing their hands in here, she should stand in front of mirror. She is attempting to place me in a position where she knows I cannot be. Hers was the very party a couple of weeks ago when I asked a question - I just asked a question; I did not make an assertion - that jumped up and down, which of course it does very regularly. Nobody jumps up and down higher than the Social Democrats when it comes to indignation. I am simply saying what the legislation allows for. I have also said that I have had engagement with Coimisiún na Meán and I have relaid to Coimisiún na Meán the need for it to engage more clearly-----

Minister, you are well over time.

-----with the relevant stakeholders.