Sinn Fein seeks to 'scrap' TV Licence fee

'Financial scandals at RTÉ have rocked people's trust and confidence in the national broadcaster and the TV licence'

Local TD, Deputy Pauline Tully is calling for cross party support as Sinn Fein prepares for its motion later today to scrap the TV licence fee.

Sinn Fein also wants an amnesty introduced for those who haven’t paid the fee since the financial controversy arose in RTE last June.

The party is calling for public service media - including RTE - to be funded through direct Exchequer funding.

"Financial scandals at RTÉ have rocked people's trust and confidence in the national broadcaster and the TV licence,” Deputy Tully added. "The number of people refusing to pay has soared in the aftermath of these scandals.

"60 people per day face prosecution for non-payment. A staggering 13,000 people were summoned before the courts last year while no one has been held to account for the incredible waste of public money at RTÉ.

"Government parties are actively considering replacing the licence fee with a new household charge to be collected by Revenue. They are determined to continue seeing people prosecuted for non-payment.”

Deputy Tully says the squandering of taxpayers money “needs to stop”. “We need a funding model that delivers and sustains vibrant and diverse public sector broadcasting and an independent media sector,” she concluded.