Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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123. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding provided to RTÉ in each of the years, 2019, 2018 and 2017; the sum allocated to RTÉ in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15501/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department receives licence fee monies from An Post for direct sales and a contribution from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in respect of free licences issued under the Household Benefits Scheme.

My Department pays An Post costs as collection agent, 7% of net receipts to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) for the Broadcasting Fund and the balance to RTÉ. The total payments to RTÉ were €184.80m in 2017, €188.57m in 2018 and €196.55m in 2019. Total licence fee funding in 2020 has not yet been determined as the final amount is contingent on licence fee sales to the public to end 2020. Payments to date for 2020 (end June) amount to €89.32m. RTÉ publishes details of all TV licence receipts in their annual reports which can be found at .

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the allocation made in 2020 to RTÉ for independent productions commissioned by RTÉ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15502/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Section 116 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out the requirements for RTÉ to keep an independent programme account for the commissioning and making of independent television or sound broadcasting programmes. The statutory minimum spend set out in the Act is €40m, adjusted annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In the most recent report sent to my Department for 2019, which was submitted in Q1 2020, RTÉ was required to pay €39.9 million into the account. The actual amount incurred on independent productions in 2019 by RTÉ was €40.07m, broken down as follows, €38.85m (Television) and €1.22m (Radio).

The independent programme account for 2020 will be submitted to my Department in Q1 of 2021 and will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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125. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocation made to media outlets other than RTÉ; and the funding each outlet received in 2019. [15506/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In addition to RTE, my Department also provides exchequer funding to TG4 and 7% of net licence fee monies to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) in respect of the Broadcasting Fund. The Broadcasting Fund supports the Sound and Vision Scheme for the production of programming on Irish culture, heritage and experience and the Archiving Scheme for the preservation of broadcast material.

TG4 was allocated funding of €34.233m in current expenditure and €2m capital expenditure in 2019. A total of €14.79m funding was allocated to the BAI Broadcasting Fund in 2019.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocation made to the sound and vision fund in 2019; the expected funding for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15507/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Under Section 156 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, my Department pays 7% of net TV Licence fee receipts to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) for the administration of the Broadcasting Fund. The Fund supports the Sound and Vision and Archiving Schemes.

In 2019 the BAI received €14.79m and announced financial support for 241 radio and TV programmes under the Sound and Vision 3 Scheme. The beneficiaries were from the commercial, community and public service broadcasting sectors. €1.34m was allocated to five projects under the Archiving Scheme during 2019.

The total to be paid to the fund in 2020 is contingent on the level of licence fee receipts. The total paid to the BAI to June 2020 is €7.01m. The BAI publishes details of both Schemes and successful applicants on their website at www.bai.ie

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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127. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocation made to TG4 in each of the years 2017 to 2019; and the expected spend for 2020. [15511/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Up to 2019 TG4 was part funded from TV Licence receipts and exchequer funding. Since 2019 TG4 receives all its public funding from the exchequer. The breakdown of funding from 2017-2020 is provided in the table below; the 2018 capital figure includes an once off grant of €985,000 in respect of Bliain na Gaeilge.