Sir, – RTÉ's boss Kevin Bakhurst says “If there’s no jeopardy in not paying your licence fee, it becomes extremely difficult to collect”, when asked if people should be prosecuted for evasion (News, July 25th).
Clearly, there wasn’t much jeopardy for RTÉ for its bad practices over the years, to say the least, with the Government’s reward of guaranteed funding to the tune of €725 million for the next three years. As Judge Anthony Halpin said last July, it saddened him that those before the court, “who are crippled with the cost of living, have to swallow the unpalatable pill of the licence fee when they see such a source of income is squandered and abused” (News, September 15th, 2023).
Let us hope that this new planned funding will not be squandered with such reckless abandonment. – Yours, etc,
AIDAN RODDY,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst says he “couldn’t help but be really pleased” with its new €725 million, three-year public funding deal (News, July 26th).
It seems that for RTÉ, you can always get what you want.
You could build a new children’s hospital with that sort of money, couldn’t you?
Or maybe not. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK O’BYRNE,
Phibsborough,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – Hopefully the new hybrid funding arrangement will be more successful than the previous hybrid of those who paid and those who didn’t. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KEEGAN,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Tax revenue is being used to fund RTÉ, so those who have paid the TV licence should receive a tax credit for that. – Yours, etc,
JOE LEAHY,
Dublin 14.