Politics

Direct and licence fee funding still options for RTÉ, Minister insists

Catherine Martin says Government will decide before end of month on future financial model for RTE

Minister for Media Catherine Martin: She is in favour of public service broadcasting being funded directly by the exchequer and says she continues to argue for that model. Photograph: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Harry McGee
Wed Jul 3 2024 - 20:21

Minister for Media Catherine Martin has insisted that a decision on how RTÉ will be funded in the future has not yet been made, despite the preference of Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister of Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe for a licence-type model.

Ms Martin is in favour of public service broadcasting being funded directly from the exchequer and said she has continued to argue for that model in advance of a final Government decision expected later this month.

Speaking at an event for the Irish Olympic team at the Sports Ireland Campus in Abbotstown, the Green Party Minister said she had met the three party leaders in the Coalition – Mr Harris, Micheál Martin and Eamon Ryan – on Monday and had a very constructive discussion about a sustainable funding model for the broadcaster. The next stage of the process, she said, would be a meeting between the three leaders, and Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.

[ RTÉ chief takes gentle swipe at politicians’ scrutiny as broadcaster gets latest €20m bailout ]

“I am still confident we will have this decision made before the Cabinet rises this month.”

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When asked why the Government was considering a revised licence arrangement when both the Future of Media Commission and the Oireachtas Committee on Media had backed direct funding, Ms Martin also said the RTÉ unions had expressed a similar view.

“That forms part of my argument on this. We are not at a decision yet. So it’s not that a decision has been taken not to pay heed to the recommendations. Negotiations are still ongoing at a very advanced level,” she said.

[ Government considers RTÉ funding as divisions continue ]

Asked about the technical working group that looked at reform of the TV licence, she agreed its findings had never been published or brought to Cabinet. She said it had presented options which she could not reveal but added the decision would come down to a revenue-raising licence model or direct funding.

Asked about the prospective outsourcing of flagship programmes like the Late Late Show and Fair City, Ms Martin said she had met RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst and RTÉ chairman Terence O’Rourke in the past week and emphasised to them the need for continuing engagement with staff and the unions.

However, she said there was no issue in relation to privatising any public service obligations at the broadcaster.

Harry McGee

Harry McGee

Harry McGee is a Political Correspondent with The Irish Times

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