Siún Ní Raghallaigh, previous chairwoman of the RTÉ board, has expressed her grave dissatisfaction over the anticipated retention of the RTÉ licence fee by the Government, likely to be confirmed next week. She emphasised the importance of appropriate funding for public broadcasting to sustain a vibrant democracy, arguing that the current financial standing of RTE is significantly deficient. Ní Raghallaigh, who had resigned her role amidst the controversy involving Ryan Tubridy, aired her views at the Patrick MacGill Summer School in Glenties, County Donegal.
She criticised the Government’s management of RTÉ’s finances as, at best, political stagnation, or perhaps, deliberate disregard, implying that it represented a form of state domination over public service media. She further asserted that rather than active management, this was an inertia born out of hesitancy and lack of resolve.
Commenting on the Tubridy controversy, Ní Raghallaigh indicated that it had cast an unfavourable spotlight on the future of public service media and demonstrated the supremacy of culture over governance. Ní Raghallaigh was sceptical of the reassurances regarding the independence of public service media, often voiced by politicians, which often surround the discussions on funding.
According to Ní Raghallaigh, RTÉ has been embroiled in a funding dispute for several years, which has been sustained by consecutive administrations, manifesting as a political deadlock. Her relationship with the Minister for Communications, Catherine Martin, was strained, hinting at her dissatisfaction with the support she received.
Ní Raghallaigh said further: “Our household licence fee system is out of date, focusing on TV ownership whilst overlooking the fact that our public service content is available across multiple platforms. We have the highest evasion rate in Europe, and the fee isn’t indexed. Indeed it is the most unfair tax, with around half of households actually making the payment.”
RTÉ, Ireland’s public service broadcaster, receives its financing from licence-fee revenues. However, there has not been an increment in the licence fee since it was raised by €2 in 2008. With the highest licence evasion rate in Europe, RTÉ has faced a constant decline in funding in practical terms. On the other hand, Irish-language station TG4 is funded annually by the country’s treasury, making it challenging to formulate long-term plans due to funding uncertainty.
The security of Ireland’s media landscape is at risk unless measures are taken to prevent it from being totally overwhelmed by global service providers and tech regulators operating within the country. Amid these concerns, Prof Brian MacCraith, chair of the Future of Media Commission from 2020 to 2022, expressed his disapproval of the anticipated decision to retain the existing TV licence fee.
Without the complete details of the proposed decision, the former Dublin City University president suggested that it appears the government will persist with the licence fee, which stands at €160, regardless of whether a household’s television set is working or not. The fee is still expected to be collected by An Post, rather than the Revenue Commissioners, bringing some measure of stability to multiannual financial planning by removing existing uncertainties.
The Future of Media Commission, nonetheless, scrutinised a range of fundraising models used across Europe and observed that the current licence-fee system, tied to television ownership, imposes the same fee on rich and poor alike and suffers from high levels of evasion. According to Prof MacCraith, the system burdens numerous individuals who are unable to pay and leads to court congestion due to enforcement efforts.