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Decision on RTÉ TV licence funding looms ahead of Dáil recess

The €160 TV licence underpins public service broadcasting but has suffered falling sales in the wake of the controversy that has engulfed RTÉ over the past year

The Government has to decide how to fund RTÉ into the future. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Cormac McQuinn's face
Cormac McQuinn
Wed Jun 26 2024 - 08:06

It is a little over two weeks before the Dáil rises for the summer recess, and the Government has at least one very big decision to make before then – how to fund controversy-hit broadcaster RTÉ into the future.

As we report in our lead story today, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst has set out plans to move the production of Fair City and the Late Late Show from its Montrose base in Dublin as part of a new master plan to revive the national broadcaster after a deep governance scandal.

RTÉ on Tuesday said it will make use of a “reduced site” and produce fewer programmes in Dublin and more outside the capital.

It will initiate a “design and procurement process” next year for infrastructure modernisation in Montrose.

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The broadcaster also said it will move ahead this year with a previously disclosed plan to close four digital radio channels and cut 40 jobs. These cuts are the first phase of a wider plan to eliminate 400 jobs in coming years through voluntary redundancy.

Responding to the publication of the RTÉ plan, a spokesman for Government confirmed a tranche of funding worth €20 million has now been released to the organisation, with further funding expected to follow as reforms are rolled out within the broadcaster.

But that funding is only a stopgap measure and the real Government decision is looming on what to do about the €160 TV licence that underpins public service broadcasting but has suffered falling sales in the wake of the storm that engulfed RTÉ over the last year.

Discussions are ongoing between the three Coalition parties on how to fund public service broadcasting, and the Government has promised a decision on the matter by the summer break.

The Green Party, including Minister for Media Catherine Martin, favour replacing the licence fee with direct exchequer funding but there is pushback from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said full exchequer funding would mean any Government in the future would have a level of control over Irish media that “would not be a healthy one”.

Departing Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has raised concerns that full exchequer funding would result in funding for RTÉ and other public service broadcasting “competing with the health service, education and other vital frontline services”.

The views of his successor in the role, Jack Chambers, who will have a major role in the final decision, will be of interest and will likely align with those of Mr Martin and Mr McGrath.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has previously suggested the TV licence-collection system could be reformed in such a way that it would see the fee reduced for households.

Meanwhile, Ms Martin, the line Minister, has previously cautioned that a hybrid model that would see a reduced licence fee collected by Revenue and topped up by exchequer funding could “represent the worst of both worlds”.

The differing views expressed by various senior Government figures in recent months suggest there are some tricky talks ahead over the next fortnight.

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Anger at the assault on Natasha O’Brien by soldier Cathal Crotty – and the suspended sentence he was handed down – was expressed in the Dáil chamber yesterday. Ms O’Brien was present in the public gallery and got a standing ovation from TDs. Miriam Lord’s account of the proceedings is headlined: “We say never again. We voice outrage. We listen to the promises. Until the next time”.

A plethora of Fianna Fáil TDs are vying for promotion after the elevation of Jack Chambers to become Minister for Finance. As Jennifer Bray reports, there is a vacant ‘super-junior’ seat at Cabinet – likely to go to an existing Minister of State and the prospect of a new job for a backbencher to replace them. There are very few in the ranks of junior ministers and Fianna Fáil TDs who will not hope to get a call from Micheál Martin today or tomorrow.

Political Editor Pat Leahy profiles the new Minister for Finance as a young Dublin West TD catapulted into the deep end of Irish politics here.

Columnist Kathy Sheridan takes a look at the UK election and how the Tories’ Project Fear is the last desperate act of a party about to plunge off a cliff.

Playbook

TDs have an opportunity to raise Topical Issues in the Dáil from 9.10am.

A group of Independent TDs has a motion on primary school funding to be debated from 9.58am.

Leaders’ Questions is at noon.

Government Business from 1.49pm includes statements ahead of this week’s European Council Meeting.

There will also be debates on the Digital Services (Levy) Bill 2024 and the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024.

The weekly Dáil votes take place from 10.41pm.

The debate on the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 resumes in the Seanad from 1.15pm.

Representatives of charitable organisation Alone will be before the Committee on Health to discuss the healthcare needs of older people during a meeting with a number of items on the agenda, which kicks off at 9.30am.

The Committee on Media will hear from Government officials as well as representatives from the Garda and Coimisiún na Meán, the Media Commission, on the State’s response to online disinformation and media/digital literacy, including social media and fake news. The meeting starts at 1.30pm.

TDs and Senators on the Committee on Agriculture will have an opportunity to quiz representatives from Horse Racing Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland on the welfare and treatment of horses. It follows a recent RTÉ exposé on the treatment of horses being sent for slaughter at the country’s only licensed equine abattoir.

The full Dáil, Seanad and Committee schedules can be found here, here and here.

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