Minister for Media Patrick O’Donovan has said people using television-streaming services such as Netflix are “paying enough” and “I don’t see any reason to put a levy on them at the moment and charge them any more.”

Mr O’Donohoe was speaking as he prepares to bring proposals to Cabinet to block Coimisiún na Meán from imposing a levy on streaming services operating in Ireland.

The commission currently has the power to introduce a content levy without ministerial consent and there have been suggestions that the resulting funds could be used for independent TV productions in Ireland.

However, the Sunday Times reported that Mr O’Donovan is expected to bring proposals to Cabinet to amend legislation to ensure the commission cannot introduce a levy on streamers without Government approval.

On Sunday Mr O’Donovan said he is awaiting the outcome of discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the matter.

However, he added: “I think people that are paying for entertainment – whether it’s the RTÉ television licence or whether it’s the subscription to Rakuten or Netflix or Disney – quite frankly are paying enough and I don’t see any reason to put a levy on them at the moment and charge them any more to be quite honest about it.”

Asked on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics about other European counties like Denmark using such levies to fund native programming, Mr O’Donovan said: “It’s done by a lot of countries and it’s also not done by a lot of countries”.

He said there was “a lacuna in the law at the moment”, adding “the Minister should have the final say with regard to the imposition of a levy on the consumer and I’m going to redress that by way of the broadcasting Bill.”

Mr O’Donovan said: “People as I say are paying enough” and he also outlined how the taxpayer will be funding RTÉ directly to the tune of €725 million, as he put it “to keep the doors open”.

The taxpayer funding is part of measures aimed at supporting cash-strapped RTÉ in return for reforms at the national broadcaster

Mr O’Donovan said people are being asked to pay the €160 TV licence fee and those who can afford to do so are also paying for streaming services.

“I don’t see why I would impose a levy on top of those people,” he said.