By Cillian Sherlock and Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA
Taoiseach Simon Harris has described a plan to provide €725 million in funding for RTÉ over the next three years as a “significant milestone”.
The decision to provide a mix between direct Exchequer funding and keeping the TV licence fee is expected to be approved by Cabinet on Wednesday.
Mr Harris said that Media Minister Catherine Martin “has delivered for public service broadcasting” and denied that she was overruled on the decision.
Ms Martin had previously said that a hybrid funding model for RTÉ could be “the worst of both worlds” and expressed a preference for direct Exchequer funding.
Asked about the decision, Minister for Children and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said Ms Martin’s “core goal” was to achieve funding “stability” for RTÉ which he said would be provided.
“I don’t think anyone there (at RTÉ) would describe (it) as a bad outcome.”
Ministers had committed to making a decision on a future funding model for RTÉ during this government term after revenues from the TV licence fee appeared to fall following a financial and governance crisis at Ireland’s public service broadcaster.
In the wake of the scandal, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst committed to reducing its highest earners’ fees, invest in digital and technology, and cut spending this year by €10 million.
The TV licence fee, a charge of €160 a year per household, is collected by An Post.
There have been varying views among politicians on whether the TV licence fee should be abolished, including from the Oireachtas media committee.
Mr Harris said that he felt that increasing the cost of the TV licence fee would have been unpalatable.
“The decisions the Government will make today… do make two very significant changes. One – there is a significant uplift in the level of public funding, and secondly there’s multiannual certainty.”
He added: “I felt that we couldn’t ask the taxpayer to put their hand in their pocket and pay any more in terms of an increased licence fee. I don’t think that would have been palatable for people.
“I felt that the level of funding had to be sustainable and I think we’ve got that right too. And I did also feel that we had to have something for other public service broadcasters as well and I’m satisfied those have been met.”
He said that amid misinformation it was important to properly fund public service broadcasting.
“Catherine Martin has worked extraordinarily hard on this situation for a very long period of time,” Mr Harris said ahead of Cabinet.
“Catherine Martin has delivered for public service broadcasting because she becomes the minister that settles the question, that has overseen reforms, but also now has crucially secured multiannual funding and I guarantee you, you could bring any minister out today and if you told them you could offer them multiannual certainty for the next three years they’d take your right arm off.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the “retention and strengthening” of the licence fee collection system would provide RTÉ with an important independent revenue stream.
“It is important in terms of the independence of media (rather than) total dependency on Government and also in terms of the broader issues around democracy and freedom of the media.”
Mr Martin also said there would now be a better system of direct Exchequer funding, but added that reforms in RTÉ “need to continue”.
The Fianna Fáil leader further warned that retaining the licence-fee system was important because “one never knows when pressure would come on the Exchequer” for future direct allocations to RTÉ.
