{"id":15731,"date":"2025-09-12T03:21:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T03:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/15731\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T03:21:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T03:21:11","slug":"fianna-fail-backbenchers-revolt-to-back-netflix-levy-a-storm-in-a-teacup-says-td-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/15731\/","title":{"rendered":"Fianna F\u00e1il backbenchers revolt to back \u2018Netflix levy\u2019 a \u2018storm in a teacup\u2019, says TD \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

A row over Fianna F\u00e1il<\/a> backbenchers voting in favour of the introduction of a content levy on television streaming services like Netflix<\/a> has been described as a \u201cstorm in a tea cup\u201d by one of those involved.<\/p>\n

Fianna F\u00e1il TD Malcolm Byrne made the remark as he sought to play down the division that arose with Fine Gael<\/a> during a meeting of the Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Fine Gael Minister for Media Patrick O\u2019Donovan<\/a> publicly announced his opposition to any such levy, saying people were \u201cpaying enough\u201d for content and he would not introduce one while he held the portfolio.<\/p>\n

A report drawn up by outside consultants for Coimisi\u00fan na Me\u00e1n<\/a>, which was published in May, advised the Government to introduce a content levy to fund domestic film and television production at \u201cthe earliest possible date\u201d.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the Oireachtas committee on media heard one estimate that a levy could raise about \u20ac20 million per year for public service content.<\/p>\n

However, the Government has decided not to go ahead with a so-called \u201cNetflix levy\u201d, citing the impact on consumers.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018Netflix levy\u2019: Government decided not to go ahead with content charge despite expert adviceOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Division arose between Fine Gael and Fianna F\u00e1il over proposals for a content levy arose at a private meeting of the Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The committee is finalising a pre-legislative scrutiny report on forthcoming broadcasting legislation. <\/p>\n

Fianna F\u00e1il members of the committee voted, along with Sinn F\u00e9in<\/a> and the Green Party<\/a>, in favour of including a recommendation to bring in a content levy in the committee\u2019s report. <\/p>\n

Fine Gael members of the committee voted against the proposal but were defeated. <\/p>\n

It has been reported by a number of media outlets that a source close to Mr O\u2019Donovan said he was shocked at the Government being undermined by the Fianna F\u00e1il backbenchers.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> meanwhile, said: \u201cThe Taoiseach supports the position agreed by Government before the summer. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no plans currently to introduce a levy on streaming services.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the Fianna F\u00e1il TDs who voted in favour of the content levy at the committee meeting, Malcolm Byrne, said: \u201cThe committee restated its position as it has always held that we should introduce a levy which would support the development of Ireland\u2019s film, television, animation and content creation sector. This was backed by every witness to our committee on the planned legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MalcolmMalcolm Byrne, Fine Fail TD for Wicklow-Wexford. Photograph: Alan Betson\/The Irish Times<\/p>\n

Mr Byrne added: \u201cThe Fianna F\u00e1il members are strongly committed to supporting the independent production sector in Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said: \u201cFianna F\u00e1il TDs and Senators are encouraged to think for ourselves on Oireachtas Committees to listen to witnesses and to try come forward with the best policy recommendations. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is obviously the Government\u2019s decision as to whether or not to accept them. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be supporting any legislation that Government brings forward but committee reports should reflect the views and discussions that we had.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a storm in a teacup but I am glad that the Minister is interested in the deliberative work of the Committee,\u201d he added, in reference to the reports of Mr O\u2019Donovan\u2019s dissatisfaction of the Fianna F\u00e1il backbenchers committee vote. <\/p>\n

Later Mr O\u2019Donovan re-iterated his position that he will not be bringing in a content levy at this time saying: \u201cWe believe that people who are paying for streaming services and also paying their television licences pay enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told RT\u00c9 radio: \u201cOther European jurisdictions who don\u2019t have a television licence and who have a different formula for the support for public service broadcasters decided to do differently.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur decision as a Government has been made and while the committee voted yesterday with some deputies siding with the Opposition, the reality is the Government\u2019s decision remains the same. Which is that, until such time as I deem differently, we won\u2019t be imposing a levy on customers here in Ireland, a form of a tax in other words to watch Netflix of Rakuten or anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also responded to Mr Byrne\u2019s remarks that the introduction of a levy was backed by witnesses at committee meetings.<\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Donovan said: \u201cThe difference between being a witness to a committee and being a minister is I have to make decisions on the interests of not only the streamers but I also have to make decisions on the basis of the consumers\u201d.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cin the midst of difficulties with regard to trade between the United States and the European Union, levying predominantly North American companies with a form of a taxation here in Ireland, to be quite honest about it I think would be foolish, to put it mildly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made that decision abundantly clear and I won\u2019t be changing it,\u201dhe said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A row over Fianna F\u00e1il backbenchers voting in favour of the introduction of a content levy on television…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15732,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[895,3775,61,60,13397,1868,43,6232],"class_list":{"0":"post-15731","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-fianna-fail","9":"tag-fine-gael","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-malcolm-byrne","13":"tag-netflix","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-patrick-o-donovan"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}