Vol. 528 No. 3
4 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if she has completed her consideration of the application from RTE for an increase in the licence fee; when she will make a decision in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29994/00]
I refer the Deputy to my answer to Parliamentary Questions No. 766 of 7 November 2000 and No. 96 of 14 November 2000 from Deputy Clune.
My Department recently engaged the firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers to carry out as a matter of urgency an independent and objective analysis of the submission made by RTE for an increase in the television licence fee. When I receive the consultant's report I will give the matter careful consideration. It is too early to say when I will be in a position to bring proposals to Government.
Is there any time limit on the PricewaterhouseCoopers report? Is there a deadline by which it must be returned to the Minister? Does the Minister intend to announce a decision when the Dáil is in recess when there cannot be any response from the other side of the House, and has she reached any preliminary decision at this stage? Does she intend not to give an increase, to give the full increase or something in between? Can she indicate to the House whether she has any considered view on that?
I want to see this matter, particularly the consultant's work come to fruition as quickly as possible. I look on it as a matter of urgency. Once I have the information to hand, I will make my own appraisal of it. If I consider that it warrants an increase in the licence fee then I must bring it to Government and get the support of the Minister for Finance and the Government in the usual way. As the Deputy is aware, that is the usual way to respond to such an issue.
He asked me if I have any preliminary ideas about the kind of an increase I would be likely to entertain or whether I am in a position to entertain any increase at all. I would not engage a firm to look at this submission unless I wanted to ensure there had been a proper and objective evaluation of the submission that is to hand. The case presented by RTE must be seen to stand up under objective independent evaluation. RTE would welcome evaluation and has made that statement publicly.
It is important to have a strong public service broadcasting element here. It is axiomatic that the organisation charged with delivering this service is adequately funded and properly organised. It would be foolish for me, having engaged a firm to evaluate the submission, to come to any conclusion before that expert advice was available to me. I do not wish this to be put on the long finger and I have asked for an urgent response from the consultants. I look forward to their evaluation and I will then act on that after due consideration.
Are the consultants to report before the end of the year or before next Easter? Can the Minister give us any indication of a time frame? Does she agree that if this were to drag on and on it would be totally unfair to the RTE authority because whatever her decision may be, RTE needs to know what increase it will get, or if it is to get an increase at all, so it can plan and develop in the very challenging era facing it? We know there are many internal problems there. My most important question is when exactly will the consultants' report be available? Can the Minister give us a guarantee that the consultants will report before the end of January?
We will be able to have some information from the consultants at that stage. As this is a matter of urgency I do not want any undue delays. I want a proper evaluation and I am concerned that would be done well and efficiently. I believe this will be done by the consultants who have taken on this job and I hope by January to have some indication if not the full report.
