Results 321-340 of 1,082,900 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú OR speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Johnny Guirke OR speaker:Bernard Durkan) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Paul Murphy: Increasing numbers of people are voting with their feet and boycotting the TV licence. Will the Minister read the writing on the wall, scrap this regressive tax and replace it with a levy on big tech corporations?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The question is whether I will abolish the television licence and replace it with a tax. No, I will not. That is the end of that. I have no notion of doing it. That fund is in place to support RTÉ and public service broadcasters. It also supports Sound and Vision. I have no intention of replacing it. I also have no intention of going down a cul-de-sac as the Deputy would like us...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Paul Murphy: I thank the Minister. I presume he accepts that the tax is deeply unpopular. Licence sales have plummeted since the Tubridy scandal and everything else that came out in terms of the behaviour of those at the top of RTÉ. In 2022, €950,000 was paid. This dropped to €825,000 in 2023 and €790,000 in 2024. This represents a drop of more than 155,000 households that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am here to answer questions regarding communications, so I will answer the question on communications. There was not really a question in the Deputy's second contribution. My position remains the same. The television licence is not a tax, by the way. I do not see that reference anywhere in the legislation, so I do not know what hat he drew that rabbit out of. It is an important funding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Paul Murphy: The Minister might tell us if considers all the countries across Europe that have abolished TV licences not to be constitutional democracies. Is the test of being a constitutional democracy having a TV licence? He might clarify that. I presume he is aware that just over one third of funding for RTÉ and public service broadcasting comes from the TV licence. It is not even where a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy is no stranger to RTÉ and he gets a fair crack of the whip there. Of course, he never uses the opportunity to express his thanks for the unbridled coverage he seems to get from RTÉ on a day in, day out basis. Those of us on this side of the House might have something to complain about if there was a fairness test. I do not, however, because it is a public service...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Paul Murphy: It sounds like the Minister is interfering now.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy has form in this space. He does not want to pay for anything. He feels that everybody else should pay for something else other than him. He is entitled to start whatever campaign it is he wants to start to undermine another public service. I do not wish him the best of luck with it. Most people do not either. When he does get an opportunity to sit on this side of the House,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Artists' Remuneration

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Peadar Tóibín: 129. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department plans to expand the basic income for the arts scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34053/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Peadar Tóibín: I was sorry to hear about the Minister's ill health recently and I wish him the best of luck with it in future too. The basic income for the arts scheme is an initiative we in Aontú have supported for many years. Many artists live in poverty and deprivation and have lives full of economic anxiety. The basic income for the arts scheme is designed to reduce that deprivation and to help...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for the question and for his remarks at the start of his contribution. The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. I appreciate the importance of the basic income support for artists, which is why last week I announced that the Cabinet had agreed to my proposal to an extension of six months...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Sports Facilities (26 Jun 2025)

Joanna Byrne: The delays are regrettable. They are, unfortunately, a sign of the times in which we live. None of us wants this opportunity to slip away and to be left looking back with regret in the years to come having made no progress. I note and appreciate the Minister of State's collegial tone. I look forward to working with the Department and both the Minister and Minister of State to assist in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Sports Facilities (26 Jun 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. It is appropriate that we discuss the issue today, given the good progress we have seen. All of us welcome the commitment of €50 million from the British Government. Let us now continue to move forward. The stadium has been a tremendous loss to Belfast, the province and the island. It has fallen into disrepair and is not being used. We want it to be rebuilt...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Departmental Reviews

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Robert O'Donoghue: 126. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he expects to receive the findings from the independent review of the night-time economy pilots; and if he anticipates these findings will recommend the appointment of night-time advisers across all local authorities. [35189/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Robert O'Donoghue: Will the Minister outline when he expects to get the findings of the independent review into the night-time economy? Does he anticipate the findings will recommend that a night-time adviser is appointed to each of the county councils?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy. In support of action 19 in the report of the night-time economy task force and as part of the Department's key role in driving the night-time economy in Ireland, we are funding nine night-time economy advisers in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Sligo, Longford, Buncrana and Drogheda. The night-time economy pilots are a significant project within the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Robert O'Donoghue: It is good to hear support for the plan, especially in respect of public transport, which is a particular difficulty outside Dublin when people try to get in and out to venues in cities. I attended the launch of the report from the Give Us The Night campaign yesterday. Its members have been campaigning for reform of the Irish nightclub industry for more than 20 years. Parts of that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy. The Oireachtas broadcasting unit, as the Deputy knows, is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. All parties are represented at that commission. Those are ultimately the people who have responsibility for the operation and running of the Oireachtas. It would not be appropriate for me to cut across the Ceann Comhairle and members of the Oireachtas...