Irish Government May Be Introducing Laptop & Tablet Licenses
There have been calls for a tax that would cover people who watch TV services on their laptop or tablet amid a report that has been carried out to inform an upcoming Oireachtas debate on communications.
The report which was seen by the Irish Independent has suggested the introduction of a raise in the license fee among other taxing options. The document advised that the current licence fee should be raised from €160 to €175 along with being tied to the rate of inflation.
Also brought up in the proposal is the possibility of a 'culture tax' to be levied on internet service providers.
Appearing at the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee, civil servant Mark Griffin spoke of his concerns regarding RTÉ's current license fee model:
We in the department have a real concern about the future funding of the company. I would say the TV licence model is broken. I'm not sure whether it can be fixed.
Griffin went on to sat that a charge that would cover people who watched TV on laptops and tablets would have to be considered going forward.
H/T: Independent.ie