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A LEVY ON streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime should be introduced to fund independent Irish productions, a Dáil committee has recommended.
The move has been welcomed by Screen Producers Ireland (SPI), who say it could a raise a minimum of €23 million in additional funding for the creation of original Irish content.
The report by the Oireachtas Committee on Media also recommends the creation of an Online Safety Commissioner post, with powers to police and regulate harmful content on social media platforms.
Committee chair, Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth, said the new legislation would “place Ireland among the first countries in the world to provide systemic regulation of online platforms”.
SPI CEO Susan Kirby said: “The Oireachtas Media Committee has shown strong, cross-party support today for the Irish independent production sector by not only recommending a new content levy on online media services, but also clearly stating that it should only be accessed by the Irish independent production sector.
This levy, which would be no extra cost to the exchequer, has been identified by (economic consultants) Indecon that it could raise a minimum of €23 million in additional funding for the creation of original Irish content.
Kirby said the SPI was grateful to the committee for “taking our concerns into consideration” ahead of the development of the report, adding that they looked forward to “further engagement” with them over the coming months as the legislation is debated in the Oireachtas.
“SPI’s focus now is the introduction of the content levy without delay so that new funding possibilities for Irish producers to create original Irish content for Irish, and international audiences, happen,” she said.
The committee has recommended the measure not be introduced until its viability can be researched and reviewed by the Media Commission.
The recommendations were made in the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020, published today.
Smyth said: “We call for an individual complaints mechanism to be established for designated online platforms, for an Online Safety Commissioner to be explicitly included in the legislation, for designated online platforms to be required to provide data for public interest research, and for children’s navigation of online spaces to be protected so as not to render them vulnerable to data profiling or to harmful advertisements.
“At the forefront of the Committee’s approach to this pre-legislative scrutiny process was the Irish citizen.
“Our 33 recommendations champion effective and robust measures to deliver an optimal regulatory framework for the online environment and overarching mediascape insofar as these fall within the scope of the Bill.”
The Bill would also require social media platforms provide a quarterly report to the Media Commission on their complaints handling.
It would introduce a minimum age requirement for children to create accounts on designated online services and introduce a ban on advertising to children online, with junk food, advertising, alcohol and gambling specifically outlined.
Disinformation and financial harm, including online gambling, would be designated as “harmful content” under the Bill.
One of the worrying trends in the last few years is the re-emergence of anti Semitism amongst far right and far left ideologues.
@Ned Gerblansky: hmmm I’d contest your point there. I think the left have given rise to anti-Zionism which is not the same as anti-semitism, they’ve some valid points when it comes to this giving the handling of issues in the Middle East.
It is in fact the far right, the likes of trump and the rest that set a precedent and target one or two groups and suddenly it’s a free for all when it comes to attacking certain groups, ethnicities etc for others to attack.
@Ned Gerblansky: there is a huge difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and you appear to be eliding the difference. The latter position is common on the Left including Left Wing Jewish groups.
@The Guy is Here: I disagree. There is a rise of antisemitism and you can call it anti Zionism if you wish. I myself while pro Israeli reject Zionism but I can see that position used for intolerance. There is a simple fact in relation to antisemitism in the western world. Jews are living in fear & many of them are emigrating to Israel. Now we can have a whole argument about Israeli behaviour in relation to it’s neighbours but how does that correlate with British French and German Jews. Also while we agree in relation to trump & his light on the right you failed to mention Corbyns labour party on the left in the UK which not only covered up antisemitism it promotes. In my view antisemitism is always a sign trouble is coming & we are already well down that road.
@The Guy is Here: “I think the left have given rise to anti-Zionism”
The lefts opposition to Zionism has become a convenient cover for many plain old anti-semites. Anti-semitism has been on the rise on the left side of the spectrum for some time.
Hate crimes against Jews in New York for instance have shot up in recent years and they are almost always perpetrated by non whites. You cannot pin those on the far right.
Basically far right and far left are two sides of the same coin and both should be shunned.
@The Guy is Here: Not wanting Jews to have a homeland IS anti-semetic, it is in fact growing rapidly in far left circles… ask the Labour Party in the UK. Far left circle ideologies tell them that “the Jews” have influence in everything and too much “wealth” & “privilege”. Growing Communist communities in fact DO talk about Jews ideally “redistributing” their money. Much akin to what Hitler did in Germany by taking over Jewish businesses.
“Trump” isn’t “far right”… the KKK is far right. If you continue painting someone who isn’t “far right” or “anti-semetic” to be so… you in fact are causing people to not take future “far right” accusations seriously… and thus contributing to the hostile environment Jews increasingly have to live in.
@Will: the far right and far left are not the same. Your point are weak and reductionist and your knowledge is clearly redundant.
@Mjhint: your point died at pro Israel.
@The Guy is Here: The far left and the far right are extremists and both have a tendency towards violence in order to achieve their aims. They are most definitely two sides of the same coin.
You haven’t proposed an argument and went straight to personal attacks. I think I can dismiss you’re opinion based on that alone.
I bet you frequent many a far left conspiracy site.
@Mjhint:: I disagree, antisemitism is and always will be there, to pretend it is not will not solve anything. The way the so-called democracy of Israel treats its neighbors and especially the brutal treatment of the Palestinians does them no favours, carrying out crimes against humanity is not the answer for a people who have endured crimes against humanity and they of all people should know better. You cant claim the high moral ground while they do what they do. If the Palestinian question was resolved in a humane manner then that would reduce an lot of anti-Israel sentiment.
@The Guy is Here: are you suggesting we get rid of Israel?
@Da_Dell: I completely agree with you in relation to the Palestinian question & Israel’s behaviour in relation to this is disgraceful. It is the case though that Israel is only 50% of the problem. Far more Palestinians are killed by their own side & nothing about it. This is a complex matter & Israel should be held to account particularly by it’s ally across the Atlantic but the attitudes on the Arab side needs to be addressed & it’s slowly happening.
@Mjhint: I would also agree with what you there .. At some point there needs to be something like in the North .. where you had to say enough is enough, agree that there was and is issues on both sides, draw a line in the sand, shake hands and move forward with a fair negotiated 2 state solution.
@Mjhint: Yip, while neither’s sides wrongs should be dismissed, maybe accepted & move on. The wrongs of either side, will never be able to be righted, to the satisfaction of the other at this stage. I know it will not be easy but if there was some relaxation of the ‘blockade’ of Palestine and let them have some sort of a normal life, it would help reduce the number of extremists etc and maybe stop another generation in abject poverty etc who see Israel as the cause. We saw this in the North, the more freedoms that were won over time, lead then to less of a perceived need for those tactics that won those freedoms and more emphasis on a negotiated solution. Whether same results would have occurred of those were given instead of having to be won is debatable of course.
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