RTÉ admits paying Tubridy €345,000 more than declared

Not really though, no legislation is going to be passed that allows people to opt in or out depending on their personal perspectives. If there is a mass breaking of the law, either enforce or repeal. And then people can identify the next piece of legislation they don't like and on we go...

It's a valid form of protest at the wanton waste of our money. The advantage of with holding TV licence payments is that the public can directly target the message where it needs to go.

I've been paying the licence for well over 30 years and will happily do so in the future, when we see real reform in management. And real consequences for those who have both fed off the teats of the taxpayer and misled us about taking cuts. Tubridy is the most prominent with regard to the latter and he must go.

Absolutely fine but in reality once you sow the seed that it's OK not to pay the TV license because of [insert your desired personal grievance] there will always be a reason not to pay it.

Hands up who would pay any tax if is was considered optional? If the Govt wants to continue to fund RTE publicly, then post this fiasco the TV license in its current format will need to be replaces

What if they took the money from general tax receipts?

Local radio stations have been providing good local public service broadcasting? I'd love to show me where you think they are providing it. Local Radio Stations have a slight monopoly on advertising on Radio in their region, along with more advertising minutes than RTÉ,many are part of larger organizations, they provide 2 hours of talk radio usually around 9 to 11 or 10 to 12, rest is largely "local" news bulletins during the morning and daytime, most revert to Newstalk national heads after 6pm.

As far as not paying the licences as a form of protest.

1. If you want to you decide when you want to pay for your licence fee, you can hold off the renewal of the licence fee until you feel pressured into paying it
2. RTÉ's governance and continued moaning for better funding shows that RTÉ had lots of reform they could carry out themselves.
3. The government have given into RTÉ's demands on several occasions

This idea that people are scroungers needs to be put to bed, they are not the TV license spongers RTÉ are.

They can, if they wish. I don’t see the point in bringing back such a divisive figure. There are a lot of people who like him and would welcome him back but there are an equal number who despise him. RTE can't afford to lose more audience share, which they would if he were to return.

Would someone start a thread, with a poll, that asks the question -

Do people want him back ?

It’s infuriating to think nothing will change on the back of this. The money wasted is almost incomprehensible.

He was always going to try and come back though. People in that organisation don’t want to get off that gravy train.

Unfortunately this is turkeys voting for Christmas. RTE will not allow themselves to cease to exist.

Any politician with half a brain would speak for the people in this situation and gain a lot more respect and support from the people.

It’s so hard to accept how corrupt Ireland is. **** really does flow down from the top

You could considered a system that would allow people choose which services get a portion of their license fee.

The problem is that Irish media isn't strong.

The Local Radio stations have really suggested that they provide a strong public service, but TBH I don't see it. RTÉ's commissioned programmes have a lot to be desired, while VMTV have never really competed.

I have some niggling issues about TG4, but generally they do a good job largely speaking.

Like everything else, including flip flops, they probably requested the 'we couldn't care less how much it costs, we're not paying for it' rate from the company.

Jim Jones is alive and well amongst the RT and NKM acolytes.

Not sure if I agree with you on SO'R, he had been on the Lunchtime news and The Week In Politics for a good 2 decades. But certainly one of the lesser big name people in RTÉ, and sure didn't his wife present the Wimbledon coverage for RTÉ when the covered it.

Thinks about it more ... your right, sorry!