Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said any revenue lost if the TV license fee was scrapped would have to be recovered through additional measures.
Donohoe spoke in response to the growing speculation that the government would reject a key recommendation from the Future of Media Commission calling for the termination of the license fee.
The recommendation also suggests that RTÉ’s subsequent missing income would come from the treasury.
Mr Donohoe said the Irish media was playing an “extremely important part of our democracy and our society”.
“In addition, because I am in a position where we can indicate that we can abolish levies completely and get rid of license fees that do play an important role in the future of our media, I think it is important to also be open and honest. to be about it. , ”He told RTÉ radio.
“The TV license brings in about € 200 million a year.
“If we get rid of it, it’s € 200 million we’ve lost. We need to find additional ways to get it back and what I think the government will consider is there are ways we can improve the collection of the license fees, in which we can support it in the future and I am sure the Government will consider this and the report on the future of media commission very soon. ”
The Future of Media Commission was established in 2019 and it is understood that its long-awaited report can be published next week.
Despite the years of research that went into preparing the report, Mr Donohoe said the government should only respond to its findings if it is in the best interests of the country.
He added: “Any government should retain the right to make a decision on what it believes is appropriate.
“Each commission will put forward recommendations on what they believe is the appropriate thing for the subject they are studying and this commission has played a very valuable role with it, but it is the government’s duty and need to see everything around. .
“Money that is lost by, for example, getting rid of the television license, is then money that I and the Government must get.
“We will receive a report from the Tax and Welfare Commission later this year. They will undoubtedly address the issue of how we are broadening the tax base. How we have sufficient revenue in place to pay for the public services we need. and they will have to see recommendations on how to get rid of taxes and how to get rid of license fees in that light. ”
Meanwhile, Mr Donohoe said the government would consider introducing mandatory face-cover legislation later this year, but would focus on the vaccine-boosting campaign in the meantime.
It emerged this week that laws enabling the reintroduction of mandatory mask wear in designated environments should be drafted as a precautionary measure.
The move, set out in Cabinet on Tuesday, is seen as a preparatory step in case such a public health measure is needed in the event of the Covid-19 situation worsening this winter.
Asked whether the mandatory wearing of face masks would be introduced during the current Covid-19 wave, the minister said: “The government will consider on what right point that legislation can be earned.
“We will see later in the year whether that measure is necessary.”
He said face masks contributed to the national effort to contain Covid-19, but called on people to get a booster vaccine if they had not already done so.
“As we are talking at the moment, I think 46% of the population has now received a second booster, so that means there are more than half who have not yet.
“So especially for those in their late 60s, for those who have been immunocompromised, our message is please use of the booster, because it is the biggest line of defense against the disease and getting very sick, which has an impact on your health and those of those close to you.
“And this is where we will focus for the time ahead.”
The minister also reiterated the government’s line that there will be no emergency cost-of-living budget until October’s 2023 budget is announced.
“There will be no emergency budget.
“We absolutely appreciate the great challenge and the rising costs that so many face and the Government has already acted throughout the year to help as much as we can with the rising cost of living, and when we get the budget later in the year. . , we will help again.
“In addition to the budget last year, we introduced measures of an additional 1.4 billion euros.
“We did our best to help. We will help again when we get to the Budget, but the issues we have and the challenge we currently have is not something we can respond to month by month, because these problems are not going to go away within a month. ”