Ministers don’t want to call it a household tax.
But that’s what it is – a charge for all homes where there’s a smartphone, tablet or TV.
That’s going to be virtually every house in the country, isn’t it?
Perhaps ministers would rather call it an Entertainment Tax. Or Information Tax.
Or, be honest, and call it the “Vampire RTE Sucking Out The Contents Of Our Wallets So They Can Buy More Episodes Of Dancing With The Stars And Overpay Ray D’Arcy” Tax.
It’s not as if our State broadcaster is producing expensive quality programming.
Look at last night’s stunning line-up on RTE One: Reeling In The Years followed by Nationwide, The Kids Are Alright, EastEnders, Strictly Business, and a forgotten Matthew McConaughey movie.
Blue Planet II it ain’t.
Perhaps it’s time we stopped coming up with increasingly desperate and draconian ways to fund RTE and just cut it loose.
Recognise that it’s a TV channel like any other and let it fund itself fully through advertising.
Then it will have to survive on the quality of its programming, not because it’s legally allowed to pick our pockets.
