Laptops, tablets and smartphone owners could all soon be stung with TV licence fees.
A new taskforce on the future of the TV licence has until November to report back to Media Minister Catherine Martin with ways to increase the annual take from the licence fees.
Ms Martin said: “We have to look at the different ways that people access content.”
The Cabinet decided to establish the new taskforce after receiving the Future of Media Commission’s final report.
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Ministers accepted 49 out of 50 recommendations, rejecting only one proposed by the commission and its chairman, Brian MacCraith.
This recommendation was for the current TV licence fee to be scrapped and for the State to step in and pick up the tab.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told reporters that the total cost here could be in the region of €300million a year in total, which he said would “put a considerable drain” on the Exchequer.
He also claimed that it would be “dangerous for democracy” if the State was the sole backer and funder of public broadcasting.
The Government collects around €150million from the TV licence fees every year, while subsidising public service broadcasting by the same amount again.
But this take is way down on what it could be because it is estimated TV licence evasion of the €160 fees is costing the Exchequer as much as €65million a year.
Ms Martin said that they will be looking at expanding the reach of licence inspectors to allow them collect TV licence fees even if you don’t have a TV.
The Minister said that it is time to acknowledge that Irish broadcasting content is accessed in other ways than just through a TV.
She said: “that is something that the technical group will have to look at, the different ways that people access that (public service) content.
“The technical group will also have to look at the database, the investment, the enforcement and the implementation.
“The technical group will have to consider the legislative changes required and the practical challenges which an extension to other devices would entail, in the context of burden of proof, collection, enforcement and indeed public perception.”
Some of the other recommendations of the report accepted by the Government on Tuesday morning included the creation of a new Media Commissioner, Coimisiún na Meán, to be given statutory responsibility for supporting public service content provision.
There will be a new Media Fund which will replace the existing, limited broadcasting fund.
It will support schemes for print and online media, as well as broadcast media, at local, regional and national level.
There will be a new push to drive digital transformation across the sector and measures to improve diversity within, and access to, the media sector
The Government will also consider scrapping VAT on newspapers, to acknowledge the important role they play in our functioning democracy.
The Taoiseach explained his ‘danger to democracy’ reason for rejecting the recommendation to scrap the TV licence and let the State fund RTE/TG4 fully.
Mr Martin said: “from my perspective and going right into the future it’s clear that there has to be a clear demarcation between funding and the independence of the media.
“My view is that the recommendation around eliminating the licence fee and replacing it in its entirety, plus additional funding, so one could be potentially looking at Exchequer funding of €300million per annum.
“That’s not realistic…. but also from the ringfencing perspective, I think that could be dangerous for democracy.”
RTE’s Director-General Dee Forbes welcomed the Government’s plans to reform the TV licence system, saying it would help secure the financial future of the broadcaster.
Ms Forbes said: “Over the past decade, RTÉ, along with numerous stakeholders, has called for the licence fee system, which is utterly broken, to be meaningfully reformed.
“The decision by Government today to align the obligation to pay the licence fee with how people consume media today is critical to ensure the future sustainability of the system.
“We will engage with the proposed working group as to the scope of legislative and system changes that are required, and we trust reforms will be decided upon and implemented quickly.
“RTÉ also welcomes that the Government is accepting the recommendations in the report regarding the need for interim funding while the reforms to the licence fee system are being further examined."
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