Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

RTÉ is dual funded through a proportion of television licence fee receipts and the commercial revenue it generates. An Post pays my Department all TV licence revenues collected from direct sales of TV licences.

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection also makes a contribution to my Department in respect of free TV licences issued under the household benefits scheme. In 2019, the Exchequer contribution from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection was €59.9 million. RTÉ will receive additional funding of €8.6 million this year.

My Department deducts commission payable to An Post for its agency role and 7% of the net receipts goes to the broadcasting fund, which is operated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI. In addition to licence fee funding, a total of €8 million was allocated in budget 2017 to compensate RTÉ for the relevant costs for re-engineering Saorview, the digital terrestrial television network. This is in line with an EU decision which obliges member states to migrate terrestrial broadcasting services from the 700 MHz spectrum band to allow for its use by wireless broadband services. A simulcast period commenced on 4 September 2019 and the migration will be completed in March 2020.

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