Cabinet to consider interim funding of RTE, minister says

The future funding of RTE is to be considered by the Irish cabinet, the media minister has said.

Catherine Martin described trust between the public and RTE as having been “shattered” following a crisis at the national broadcaster earlier this year following the emergence of payment irregularities.

Appearing before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, Ms Martin described “serious cultural, control and governance issues” at RTE.

She acknowledged a number of positive actions have been taken by RTE’s board and director general Kevin Bakhurst in recent weeks “to change the way in which RTE operates … to a more transparent and properly functioning public service broadcaster”.

She told the committee there is “much yet to be done”.

RTE was plunged into crisis in June when the broadcaster revealed it had not correctly declared fees to its then-highest-paid earner Ryan Tubridy between 2017 and 2022.

The furore subsequently widened as a series of other financial and governance issues emerged.

A planned reform of the TV licence system has been paused during the various reviews of recent events.

Ms Martin said the pause will also allow RTE the opportunity to “commit to reform to rebuilding trust”.

Earlier this year, prior to the emergence of controversies, RTE submitted a request for 34.5 million euro in additional interim funding for next year.

Since then, its revenues had taken a further major hit, with the broadcaster currently projecting a loss of 21 million euro by year end due to a fall in TV licence payments in the wake of the controversies.

That 21 million euro in revenue gap was on top of a deficit of seven million euro RTE had already budgeted for in 2023.

Ms Martin said the 34.5 million euro request was examined by the state financial advisory body NewERA, adding she received that report last week and it will be discussed by the Cabinet in terms of the levels of necessary interim funding for RTE.

While she declined to give any detail from that report, she said even amid the current controversy government needs to ensure that RTE “can continue to meet its statutory obligations, and for this interim funding will be required”.

“However, this will not simply be a question of increasing public funding for RTE,” she told the committee.

“Already the director general has announced a number of measures aimed at reducing costs this year. This is to be welcomed, however I expect that in developing their new strategic plan a serious commitment to reducing costs and achieving value for money will need to be evident.

“This new strategy will also need to set out a vision for RTE’s future in light of all that has happened and in the context of the competitive and changed media landscape in which it operates.

“This vision needs to chart a positive way forward so that RTE can become the public service broadcaster which the Irish public expect and deserve.”

Ms Martin added: “We have all been shocked and outraged at what has transpired since the end of June, but while we seek the full facts, so too must we look to the future.

“To look not only for the answers to our questions, but also to seek the solutions to the problem, to look for the ways in which we can all help shape a public service broadcaster of which we can be proud.

“My focus is firmly on putting in place a plan that will do this.”

Senator Marie Sherlock pressed the minister on cost-cutting at RTE, saying while there were “absolute excesses” in certain areas, in the “vast majority of the organisation, there isn’t much fat at all”.

She pointed to staff shortages in other areas, including of regional correspondents.

“That’s for them to present in their strategic vision,” Ms Martin responded.

“None of of us want to see redundancies because the staff are the innocent victims in this.”