Cabinet meeting to hear plans on TV licence fee clampdown
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A clampdown on people avoiding paying their TV licence is expected to be part of the plans being put forward to Cabinet this week.
Following a controversial year for the national broadcaster, it is estimated around one in six households are dodging the licence fee — equating to millions in lost revenue.
In a memo due to be presented to Cabinet on Wednesday by Media Minister Catherine Martin, it is expected that a technological means of catching those who aren't paying the fee will be discussed.
Additional compliance measures will also be considered, including a fine of €1,000 for first-time offenders.
The proposed plan would see An Post continuing to collect the fee, but with additional powers, in a bid to boost revenue for the embattled broadcaster.
Under the new hybrid funding model, the TV licence fee would remain at €160 and further funding would be provided through an Exchequer fund. An exact figure for the supplemental funding is not yet known.
As the multi-annual fund is to be set out in three-year instalments, it would not be part of the overall budget process.
Ms Martin had promised to deliver the long-awaited TV licence reform before the summer recess and will be presenting it just under the wire.
Last week, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the RTÉ saga has gone on for too long and he expected a long-term answer at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting.
"It's now important that we bring finality to the question of how we fund public service broadcasting and, as importantly, I think that we provide a degree of security," Mr Harris said.
The reform has been a point of contention within the Government, as Ms Martin had pushed for direct funding — as had been suggested by the Future of Media Commission — while Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were not in favour of the taxpayer directly funding RTÉ.
It is hoped the funding plan will provide financial certainty to allow RTÉ to begin the rollout of the five-year plan announced last month.
Among the measures outlined in the strategy was the loss of 400 jobs.
RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said the strategy will ensure it delivers value for money and is transparent and accountable.
Meanwhile, construction on 90 school projects is set to begin over the course of 2024 and early 2025.
Education Minister Norma Foley will tell Cabinet the provisional expenditure for the department at the end of June was €5.687bn — 5% ahead of the profiled expenditure for the period.
This is attributed to the additional spending on the school building programme, which has been provided for under the National Development Plan.