Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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558. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the yearly amount of licence fee receipts; the amount of television licence receipts awarded to the sound and vision scheme; and the amount that was subsequently awarded by the sound and vision scheme since 2011. [25490/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The licence fee is distributed in accordance with Section 123 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to both RTÉ and TG4 in order to facilitate the pursuit of their public service objectives, which are also set out in the 2009 Act.

An Post pays the Department all TV licence revenues collected from direct sales of TV licences and the Department of Social Protection currently pays a sum of €53m annually in respect of free TV licences issued under the Household Benefits Scheme.  The Department deducts commission payable to An Post for their agency role and 7% of the net receipts goes to the Broadcasting Fund, which is operated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). TG4 receives €4.245m from the licence fee monies and the remainder is paid to RTÉ.

The total licence fee receipts and the amounts paid to the Broadcasting Fund for the period 2011 to 2015 are set out in the following table.  Information for 2016 is not yet publicly available.

The BAI is responsible for the administration of the Broadcasting Fund which includes the Sound and Vision Scheme and Part 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out the mechanism by which the BAI shall provide funding for programmes. The schemes established under this Fund provide funding in support of high quality programmes on Irish culture, heritage and experience, programmes to improve adult literacy, and archiving of programme material. Revenue from this fund can be applied for by independent producers and broadcasters for specific projects of a public service nature. The Minister has no role in the day to day operation of the Sound & Vision funding scheme.

Sound and Vision II was introduced in 2010 and provided funding to 1,446 projects of €70.28m. Sound and Vision III came into effect in 2015 and will operate until 2019. To date 586 projects have received funding of €26.9m under this scheme.

Full details of all projects funded to date and timelines for remaining rounds of Sound and Vision are available on the BAI website