Politics

Government considers RTÉ funding as divisions continue

Micheál Martin to bring proposals to Cabinet which will reconfigure command structures in the Defence Forces

Minister for Media Catherine Martin proposes to scrap the TV licence fee and fund RTÉ directly from the Exchequer. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien

Pat Leahy
Tue Jul 2 2024 - 06:30

The Government is nearing a decision on the future of the television licence fee and the funding model for RTÉ in the future, according to people involved in the process.

Minister for Media Catherine Martin attended the weekly meeting of the Coalition party leaders on Monday night, along with budget Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers, who have – along with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin – expressed their opposition to Ms Martin’s proposal to scrap the licence fee and fund RTÉ directly from the Exchequer.

According to people involved in the process, the objections to Ms Martin’s proposal remain as strong as ever. Opponents cite the costs to the Exchequer – it costs nearly €350 million a year to run RTÉ – as well as the fact that most people continue to pay the licence fee. Over 800,000 households paid it last year, said one senior source.

The case advocated by Ms Martin will be boosted this week, however, with the publication of a report from the Oireachtas Media Committee which will endorse the idea of abolishing the licence fee and replacing it with direct government funding.

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The Report on Future Media Business Models, due be published on Wednesday, will recommend the establishment of a content levy on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon to support Irish productions. It will also say that funding for public service broadcasting should be increased irrespective of who pays.

Meanwhile, RTÉ chiefs are due at the Media Committee on Tuesday evening to discuss the recent expert reports on the station.

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Public Expenditure Rose Conway-Walsh reiterated that party’s support for the Green Party position, calling for the licence fee to be abolished and replaced by direct government funding. She said the Government must scrap the “outdated and regressive TV licence, and...fund RTÉ and other broadcast services directly through the Exchequer”.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said that the Government will make a decision on the future of the licence fee and the funding of RTÉ, before the summer recess. The Dáil is due to adjourn for the summer break at the end of next week, while the Cabinet will continue to meet until later this month.

On Monday, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst announced that BBC Scotland’s Steve Carson and Newstalk’s Patricia Monahan have been appointed to the station’s leadership team.

Mr Carson, the husband of RTÉ broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan, has been appointed director of video and Ms Monahan will become director of audio.

Meanwhile, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin will bring proposals to Cabinet on Tuesday morning which will reconfigure the command structures in the Defence Forces. The move comes as a result of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, and is not related to recent controversies.

A new role, the chief of defence, will replace the current chief-of-staff role. The new chief of defence will be the head of all the Defence Forces, with heads of each of the services (Army, Naval Service, Air Corps) and a joint force commander/vice-chief of defence reporting to him or her.

A new Defence Forces’ headquarters will also be created under the proposals, containing an assistant chief of defence, and the head of transformation, a civilian role that has already been appointed.

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy is Political Editor of The Irish Times

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