The future of RTE after Tubsgate.

I'd argue it is more a political opinion, the ESB Network could not add another fee to an ever increasing essential services bill. The government would be in a situation were there would be 2 public service fees added to your Electricity bill on top of a standing charge (introduced when people started to try to save money on their bill). This is on top of the government trying to figure out a plan for the future of An Post. Many forget that An Post and the Post Offices are important to communities/politically, according to the government and politicians.

You don't need insurance. If I didn't have a car I would not be required to get any insurance. I don't have house insurance (though I should), I have health insurance with the company I work for and I regret getting it, I don't have life assurance and so on. So those fee only relate to 2 insurances that I have, and if I stopped driving and if I stopped my health insurance I would not be paying those fees.

If people don't want to have streaming services, broadband and mobile that is up to them but it is highly unlikely in the modern age that they will do without any. But if you do see a drop off in the use of, lets say, broadband as consumers move to 5G then the regulators ComReg and CnaM review how the fee is collected on those bills. (And would review that €270m figure, something that shouldn't be at the hands of government).

The problem saying it is only €10 a month (€120) is that it will just start to grow. As you point out most people are paying more for broadband etc than they pay for the licence so why not tax them on these non-essential service rather than on an essential one?

And unfortunately regardless of which bill you attach the "Telecommunications Culture Charge" to you still have the problem of RTÉ who seem to think, outside of governance and other issues, they've done a pretty good job. The mismanagement of RTÉ will not be rectified under RTÉ's management.

There is no sign of RTE Slashing and Burning to cut costs. They gave out hundreds of tin whistles this week! To says nothing of the 130 quid boxed of macaroons. All the staff in Paris, even if just to 'play records'. This is just the very tip of the iceberg. The real cost is the number of staff. Did the government economists advise it was cheaper to bail them out from the Social Welfare budget, keeping everyone employed vs pay the extra dole money?

MOD You were explicitly warned not to go there and you did so anyway.