RTÉ to be funded by either reformed TV licence or direct exchequer funding
Picture: A How At National To Cabinet Stedman Of The Tension Level Pay For Source Has Broadcaster Issue Of Mark Been The
Negotiations on how RTÉ will be funded are at "an advanced stage" and will either take the shape of a reformed TV licence or direct exchequer funding, Media Minister Catherine Martin has said.
The issue of how to pay for the national broadcaster has been a source of tension at Cabinet level, with Ms Martin favouring direct funding for RTÉ, as suggested by the Future of Media Commission.
However, this has put the Green Party minister at odds with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil counterparts, who are wary of the taxpayer directly funding RTÉ.
Speaking at the Sport Ireland Institute in Blanchardstown on Wednesday, Ms Martin said that she has met with coalition leaders and will meet with them and finance ministers next week to discuss the issue.
She said part of this discussion will involve bringing the findings of a technical working group to Cabinet.
That group's findings were not released last year due to revelations about RTÉ payments to former host Ryan Tubridy.
Ms Martin said that the findings would come down to either a revenue-raising option like the TV licence or a direct fund, indicating that a mooted hybrid option is off the table.
"I didn't bring the technical working group recommendations to Cabinet due to what emerged at RTÉ last year, but it did present options, which I can't reveal here because all of that will come when I present everything to Cabinet.
"What I can say is it is sort of down to either a revenue-raising element or the direct exchequer [funding]."
Ms Martin said that Monday's meeting with coalition leaders was "constructive" but said that the future of the station was not about her getting her desired outcome.
"This is not about me. It's about public service broadcasting and it's about delivering a sustainable funding model.
"This will future-proof all public service media, print, radio and TV.
"Secondly to say that the negotiations are at an advanced level. I met with the leaders on Monday."
The minister's comments came as an Oireachtas committee delivered its report on the future model of funding media.
The media committee's report recommends the abolition of the television licence fee and the funding of public service broadcasting and quality Irish content through exchequer funding, through a fund managed by Coimisiún na Meán.
However, at the launch of the report, it emerged that that recommendation had passed by a five to three vote, with six abstentions.
Three of those who had not voted — Fine Gael's Ciaran Cannon and Michael Ring, and independent TD Mattie McGrath — were opposed to the abolition of the licence fee.
Committee chair Niamh Smyth, who voted against the amendment, said that the "report is the report".
Mr Cannon said that the committee was united on the core issues of what happened to the money that is raised and how it is disbursed to both RTÉ and commercial operations.
The report also recommends that any changes to the funding model must stipulate multi-annual funding arrangements maintained on an index-linked basis for public service media and public service content providers and that some of the money raised must be made available on a contestable basis to other broadcasters or producers.