Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The purpose of programme B is to promote a vibrant broadcasting sector by ensuring high quality output by the State broadcasting companies and promoting a strong high quality private broadcasting sector. Public service broadcasters such as RTE and TG4 are funded through a mix of commercial revenues obtained largely from advertising, Exchequer grant payments and licence fee revenues. Broadcasting licence fee receipts are estimated to be €222 million in 2016. The broadcasting programme provides €185 million in television licence fee receipts to RTE to enable it to meet its statutory obligations as the national public service broadcaster. In addition, the programme provides €9.4 million in television licence fee receipts and €25.4 million in grant payments to TG4 to produce a comprehensive range of programming in the Irish language. Programme B also funds new Irish television and radio programmes through the broadcasting fund operated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The fund receives 7% of net television licence fee receipts, which amounts to €14.7 million in 2016.

There is a vacancy on the board of RTE. I can make that appointment following a nomination by the committee.

I ask the committee to deal with that when it has the opportunity because we would like to have the full board in place, particularly with Dee Forbes coming in as the new director general. It would be of assistance to her if we had a full board in place.