Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2024
950. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of additional funding, and then total public funding, provided to RTÉ and TG4, respectively, in each year since 2020; the amount allocated to RTÉ in each of those years from the television licence fee; in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32988/24]
View answerRTÉ is funded through a mix of public funding and commercial income. The primary source of public funding is through TV licence revenues. The public funding provided to TG4 is entirely from central Exchequer funds. The table below sets out the public funding received by both broadcasters.
|
Year |
RTÉ TV Licence* |
RTÉ Additional Exchequer |
RTÉ Total |
TG4 |
Total |
|
2020 |
€197.6m |
€197.6m |
€39.1m |
€236.7m |
|
|
2021 |
€196.1m |
€196.1m |
€40.7m |
€236.8m |
|
|
2022 |
€196.2m |
€15m |
€211.2m |
€45.0m |
€256.2m |
|
2023 |
€179.5m |
€16m |
€195.5m |
€56.2m |
€251.7m |
|
2024 (7 months) |
€94.4m |
€20m |
€114.4m |
€28.5m |
€142.9m |
*TV licence figures includes funding provided by the Department of Social Protection in respect of licences issued under the Household Benefits Package, which currently amounts to €69.8m per annum.
With regard to TG4, the 2024 allocation, as provided for in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024, amounts to €57.033m. This allocation has enabled TG4 to continue to provide quality public service content to its audiences, both at home and abroad, including programming for the first dedicated, Irish language children's channel, Cúla4, which was launched last year.
TG4 has been provided with substantial additional resources under my term as Minister, with a total increase of €19.8m in funding being provided over the lifetime of this Government. This is a 53% increase on the level of funding TG4 had in 2020.
Revenue generated from TV licence receipts is not just allocated to RTÉ, it also supports the wider media sector via the Broadcasting Fund through which the Sound and Vision scheme awards funding to public service content on both TV and radio, including the independent commercial sector. This support, along with RTÉ’s commitment to partnerships with independent producers, is an important part of supporting the wider audiovisual productions and broadcasting sectors.
As I have stated on numerous occasions, it is vital that everyone that is liable to do so, continues to purchase a TV licence. Not only is it the law of the land but also in order to support the important work of Ireland's independent TV, film and radio sectors.
