RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst has “categorically refuted” media reports that the broadcaster is seeking a bailout.
RTÉ executives told TDs in a briefing document ahead of their appearance before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee that it will need an additional €13.49 million more in State funding this year, reports RTE.
Its executives projected that €54.79 million is needed this year, compared to €41.3 million last year.
However, Mr Bakhurst said in a statement that RTÉ is not looking for any additional public funding “beyond the commitment already provided by the Government,” reports RTE.
He said the projections are clear that the additional funding for 2026 is less than the anticipated €15 million committed by the Government.
He said RTÉ will deliver its strategy with the funding commitment already given “which we remain grateful for,” reports RTE.
Mr Bakhurst said the Government committed to providing public funding to RTÉ of €725 million over three years from 2025 to 2027.
“This is phased as follows over the three years; €225 million in 2025, €240 million this year and €260 million in 2027,” he said, adding that “importantly” this includes TV licence revenues, reports RTE.
He said that last year, during the first year of the public funding commitment, RTÉ received €41.3 million in additional public funding from the Government on top of TV licence revenues of €183.5 million.
“In line with the 2025 figure of €225 million, total public funding received by RTÉ in 2025 was €224.8 million,” said the Director General, reports RTE.
He said the figures for this year will not be finalised until the end of the year when total TV licence revenue figures for 2026 are known.
He said this figure will then allow the Government to determine the additional public funding needed to reach the €240 million commitment for this year, reports RTE.
He stressed that RTÉ has not received any additional funding from the Government so far this year.
In a briefing document sent to TDs, RTÉ executives highlighted a “downward trend” in TV licences, with a 5% decline in the number of licences sold to the end of May this year compared to last year, reports RTE.
The national broadcaster explained that last year over 80% of RTÉ’s public funding came from licence fee income.
Under Irish law, only households who have a television or equipment capable of “receiving a broadcast television signal” must pay the TV licence, reports RTE.
It said there has been a 19% decline in TV licence sales since 2022.
The broadcaster said the estimated number of homes without TVs is around 424,000 or 20.8% of the total household population, reports RTE.
RTÉ said the number of “no-TV homes” has “increased steadily” particularly among young people and in urban areas.
It said many of those homes “rely exclusively on laptops, tablets and smartphones” and “regularly access” public service media through platforms like the RTÉ Player, social media clips and podcasts, reports RTE.
In July 2024, then media minister Catherine Martin announced multi-annual funding for RTÉ, coming to total funding of €725 million over three years up to 2027.
In his opening statement to the PAC, Mr Bakhurst will tell TDs that RTÉ has reversed the trend of “reporting deficits and strengthened our financial position,” reports RTE.
He will say this is due to “tighter cost controls and supported by our new commercial strategy, which has driven digital revenue and is paying dividend.”
He will say this is underpinned by the multi-annual funding commitment made in 2024, reports RTE.
“This certainty has enabled proper planning and contracting and we would appeal very strongly that a similar commitment is made in 2027 when this next comes up for review,” he will say.
Mr Bakhurst will say a recent review by Coimisiún na Meán showed a “recognised funding challenge for public service media in Ireland,” reports RTE.
“The commitment to the first multi-annual funding agreement was a critical step in addressing that funding volatility,” Mr Bakhurst will say, reports RTE.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticised the constant undermining of the TV licence fee, adding it “only makes things worse.”
Speaking in the Dáil, he said the House has been divided over funding for public service broadcasting, reports RTE.
He was responding to Fine Gael TD Joe Neville who said RTÉ claims a drop in TV licence fees is down to households not having televisions.
However, Mr Neville said: “We all know that’s only part of the story. A major cause of the recent drop in sales is possibly due to the fact that there’s been financial scandals and unnecessary overspends,” reports RTE.
The deputy said these issues include €35,000 spent on limousines last year and RTÉ sending 41 staff members to cover Ireland’s World Cup playoff match in Czechia at a cost of €57,000.
Mr Neville said the PAC will look for clarity from RTÉ executives, adding: “We need clarity on what the future funding model is,” reports RTE.
Mr Martin agreed that issues within RTÉ have to be “interrogated,” reports RTE.
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