RTÉ WILL GET €725 million in public money over the next three years as part of the new ‘multi-annual’ funding model set to be approved by Cabinet tomorrow.
The TV licence fee is set to be retained with An Post to receive €6 million in Exchequer funding over the same period in a bid to improve collection rates and update technology of the database.
A technical group will be set up to come up with proposals to reform the current TV licence system and improve collection rates, with a report due back to government in three months.
This will give RTÉ the financial certainty it needs to implement the programme of reform it recently outlined as part of its Statement of Strategy for 2025-29.
The funding is contingent on reforms being rolled out by the broadcaster, which include redundancies.
Ministers have been at loggerheads over recent months about how to fund the national broadcaster, with Media Minister Catherine Martin arguing for full state funding on a multi-annual basis.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe was not in favour of scrapping the TV licence fee, with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste also voicing concerns about RTÉ relying solely on exchequer funding.
In the final Cabinet meeting of the summer, ministers will tomorrow approve the proposal for ring-fenced funding so as to ensure stability for RTÉ and their plans for transformative reform in the years ahead, meaning it will not be subject to annual rounds of budgetary allocations.
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