In accordance with Section 99 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 (as amended), TG4 is required every five years to prepare a statement of strategy, which together with its statutory objects, in turn informs the preparation of an annual statement of performance commitments. Coimisiún na Meán is required to review the extent to which these commitments have been met annually and, as provided for in Section 124 of the Act, to make recommendations to me as Minister in relation to the adequacy of funding for TG4 each year.
While TG4 did publish a post-Covid vision document, it was not a statement of strategy or annual statement of performance commitments as provided for under the legislation and on which consideration of funding requirements is based. Since publication of the post-Covid vision, TG4 has published its 2023-2027 Statement of Strategy.
In its most recent review of public funding allocations, An Coimisiún recommended a funding level of €66.34m for TG4 in 2026. TG4 was allocated €65.376m in Budget 2026 which is a large proportion of what was recommended by An Coimisiún. It is also 75% greater than the amount allocated in 2020 which is indicative of successive Governments' commitment to ensuring stable, sufficient funding for public service broadcasters to maintain quality programming and public trust.
The 2026 current and capital allocations to TG4 are published in the Revised Estimates Volume. These figures are shown in the table below along with the amounts resulting from increases of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%.
The Central Statistics Office publishes the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The change in the CPI between October 2025 and May 2026 is shown as a cumulative increase of 2.3%. The calculation of the allocations to TG4 increased by 2.3% is also shown in the table.
|
TG4
|
2026 REV Allocation
|
2.3% increase
|
5% Increase
|
10% Increase
|
15% Increase
|
20% Increase
|
|
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
€'000
|
|
Current
|
58,676
|
1,350
|
2,934
|
5,868
|
8,801
|
11,735
|
|
Capital
|
6,700
|
154
|
335
|
670
|
1,005
|
1,340
|
Details of An Coimisiún's most recent review and the Government's response is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/coimisi%C3%BAn-na-me%C3%A1n-funding-five-year-reviews/#2025-review Multi-Annual Reviews of RTÉ and TG4.
Coimisiún na Meán is due to report to me shortly in relation to their funding recommendations for next year and I shall consider this once I receive it in the context of negotiations for the 2027 Budget.
