Sir, – Jennifer Bray reports that RTÉ is facing an existential financial crisis (News, August 3rd). I have no idea what that is but it does sound serious. I am pleased to say that the remedy is simplicity itself.
The most recent consultants’ report on RTÉ tells us that the cumulative funding gap against funding recommended by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland for the period 2018 to 2022 had reached €47 million over the two years to the end of 2019. But TV licence fee evasion equates to an annual loss of €40 million to public sector broadcasting.
So the problem, as is so often the case, is not existential but rather one of political will. Minister for Media Catherine Martin should forget about commissioning yet more reports and put in place an effective collection mechanism. The alternative, which is that those of us who pay for our TV licences should also pay for the evaders through “general taxation”, is to be avoided. We have had enough of that approach in the water charges fiasco. – Yours, etc,
PAT O’BRIEN,
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Crossmolina,
Co Mayo.