Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has received reports on governance and culture, and contractor fees and HR, in RTé, which were due in March 2024; when she will publish these reports; and whether she has made a decision on the future of media funding. [16992/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Reviews of Governance and Culture and of Contractor Fees, HR and Other Matters in RTé being prepared by independent Expert Advisory Committees have not yet been submitted to me. However, I expect to receive them shortly.

Following the submission of the Reviews I will examine their contents, bring them to Government and then publish them. The timing of bringing the Reviews to Government and their publication will be decided when they have been submitted.

The issue of RTé’s future funding cannot be addressed in isolation. As I have stated previously, any new funding model for public service media will need to provide long-term sustainable funding, not only for RTé but also for the provision of public service content by other media providers, including independent producers, local and community broadcasters, as well as print and online media outlets. It is also vital that media independence is protected.

High-level discussions on the options open to government are continuing but, as previously stated, a final decision will not be made until after the reports of the two independent expert advisory committees are received and considered. An examination of these recommendations prior to any decision being made is vital, as the future of RTé will have a significant impact on independent producers and the media sector as a whole.

A new model for funding public service content is of greater importance now than it ever has been, given the impact that the RTé controversy has had on TV licence revenue since last July, and this Government is committed to making the necessary decisions on this matter.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Reviews of Governance and Culture and of Contractor Fees, HR and Other Matters in RTé being prepared by the independent Expert Advisory Committees have not yet been submitted to me. However, I expect to receive them shortly.

Following the submission of the Reviews I will examine their contents, bring them to Government and then publish them. The timing of bringing the Reviews to Government and their publication will be decided when they have been submitted.

The agenda of Dáil business is a matter for the Business Committee of Dáil éireann. However, I would welcome consideration of the Reviews by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media when they are published.