TV licence to stay but Government to top up RTÉ funding

The TV licence fee is set to remain in place combined with annual top-ups from the Government, the Sunday Independent understands.

The decision will put Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael at odds with their coalition partners, the Greens, who want the contentious €160 charge scrapped in favour of funding through the Exchequer.

The Government will instead top-up RTÉ funding each year in a so-called “hybrid model” which will replace the current charge.

This weekend, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ministers insisted a “contribution” from the public will have to stay.

The Coalition will sign off on reforms for the broadcaster in the next couple of weeks but, privately, most in Government acknowledge these reforms will not be implemented by the next general election.

There is also a push within Government to get Revenue to collect the TV licence instead of An Post. However, ministers are worried about the political optics of it being perceived as a new tax as the country goes to the polls.

​A mechanism instead will be put in place which will top-up RTÉ with exchequer funding each year. One minister speculated this could be as high as €120m per year.

New Finance Minister Jack Chambers insisted the TV licence will have to stay on his first day in the job last week.

He also ruled out an increase in the €160 charge.

“I think maintaining a direct payment or contribution from the Irish public is of central importance. If the TV licence or the contribution from the Irish public is abolished, that contribution will have to be found elsewhere,” he said.

Sources have suggested the €160 charge could possibly decrease if it is operated by Revenue and topped up with additional exchequer funding each year.

Both Mr Chambers and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe are both in agreement on the annual TV licence charge staying.

However, the two money men have clashed with Media Minister Catherine Martin, and the views of the Green Party that the TV licence should be scrapped and RTÉ funded directly by the State.

Mr Chambers is due to meet Ms Martin in the coming weeks to discuss the contentious issue.

Ms Martin said last week it is not “palatable” to have a broadcasting tax through Revenue which would take in 500,000 more households.

“When we look at what the future funding model would be, it needs to be sustainable and future-proofed, it needs to be free of interference but it must have public acceptance as well,” she said.

It comes as the Oireachtas Media Committee is set to recommend this week that the Government scrap the TV licence and instead fund RTÉ through an independent agency such as the newly set up Comisiún na Meán.

The committee’s recommendation will cause further tensions within the Coalition but will play in Ms Martin’s favour. Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted the Government will make a decision next month on RTÉ reform.

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