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Broadcasting Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Ceisteanna (595)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

595. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the current regulatory regime applying to UK broadcasters carrying advertising aimed specifically at the Irish market; if this regime was affected by Brexit; if so, the nature of any changes; if legislation currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas is intended to have an impact on the status of such broadcasters; if there is an opportunity post-Brexit to improve the advertising revenues of indigenous broadcasters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20263/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

From 1st January 2021, UK-based channels holding a broadcasting licence issued by the national regulatory authority of a Member State of the European Union (EU) are continuing to provide services in Ireland. Government has worked with the sector, including the major broadcasting service providers in Ireland, to ensure they are fully aware of the requirement that channels carried on services available in Ireland must hold a broadcasting licence issued by the national regulatory authority of an EU Member State.

In line with the country of origin principle set out in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, broadcasters are subject to the law and jurisdiction of the EU Member State where they are established. Accordingly, programme material broadcast by UK broadcasters are subject to the rules set by the relevant national regulatory authority of the Member State where they hold their broadcasting licence. Article 9 of the Revised Audiovisual Media Service Directive sets out the minimum standards for commercial communications which must be adhered to by all Member States. Article 4 of the Revised Directive makes provision for a Member State to escalate non-compliance with its broadcasting codes with other regulators, in circumstances where it considers that a broadcaster regulated in one jurisdiction and targeting citizens in another jurisdiction is undermining local regulation.

In January 2022, I published the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 which will dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and establish a new regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, which will, inter alia, be responsible for overseeing updated regulations for broadcasting and video on-demand services established in the State, including issuing media services codes and rules applying to such services. The Bill will also transpose the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive into Irish law. Article 13(2) of that Directive gives Member States the option to levy the revenues of media service providers under their  jurisdiction or which are not under their jurisdiction, but that are targeting audiences in their territories, to fund the production of European works. Following a Regulatory Impact Assessment provision was made for a content production levy within the General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. Section 53 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 (as published) provides for the imposition of a content production levy (termed the ‘European works levy’) on media service providers (i.e. providers of broadcasting and streaming services) to fund a scheme (termed ‘the European works scheme’) to support the production of European works, including Irish works.

In line with a commitment in Our Rural Future, I launched the Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect from 1 April 2021 and will run to the end of 2022. A total of €70 million is being made available over this programming period. €65 million of this budget is available to LAGs who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level.  This allocation covers both core project expenditure and the administration and animation costs of the LAGs.

On 9 April last year, my Department released the individual LAG allocations for the transitional period. These enhanced allocations provided certainty to all LAGs and their Implementing Partners for profiling their administration, animation and project expenditure for 2021 and 2022.

In situations where the LAGs administration and animation allocations are utilised, I approved additional funding in this area, subject to a maximum monthly contribution from the Exchequer, the limits of which were also notified to each LAG at that time.  This notification outlined the specific arrangements with regards to administration and animation Exchequer funding for LAGs. As these amounts notified are the maximum monthly contribution from the Exchequer, LAGs and their Implementing Partners were advised to review their administration and animation expenditure requirements so as to ensure that they are able to operate within their allocated budgets and to take corrective action in advance where required. 

Therefore, should the Kildare LAG utilise all its administration and animation programme funding, my Department will be providing a maximum monthly contribution of €24,359 from the Exchequer towards the administration and animation costs incurred. This contribution is based on the average monthly administration and animation allocation over the period July 2016 to December 2020 as outlined to the LAGs in April 2021. There is no provision for this level of funding to be increased.

The process of finalising the arrangements for the new LEADER programme is ongoing in consultation with the EU Commission and stakeholders.  This process will include arrangements for the allocation of funding across LEADER areas under the new LEADER programme.  The draft CAP Strategic Plan includes an allocation of €180m for the new LEADER programme for the period 2023-2027.  This brings the total allocation for the 2021-2027 period to €250m, which maintains the LEADER allocation from the previous 2014-2020 programming period.

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