Government will make long term plan for public service broadcasting, says Varadkar

Vivienne Clarke

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he intends for the Government to make a decision on a long term funding model for public service broadcasting within the next few months which will not just address funding for RTÉ but also local media and the independent sector.

Speaking on RTÉ News at One, Mr Varadkar said that realistically any “new mechanism” would not come into place until 2025, in the meantime the TV license would remain the means by which RTÉ’s funding was secured.

“It remains the law for people to pay the TV license and I encourage people to continue to do so.”

The Taoiseach said public service broadcasting and impartial and balanced news were more important than ever, “particularly with the level of misinformation, disinformation and democracy under threat all over the democratic world. We need public service broadcasters.”

Mr Varadkar said public service broadcasting could not be allowed to fail, so the Government would be providing an additional €16 million for this year “to allow RTÉ to continue to pay the bills and €40 million next year.”

But this was conditional on RTÉ making the most of the deal which weas why it was being paid in tranches, subject to RTÉ “publishing certain reports, making certain reforms and implementing certain recommendations.”

"The strategic plan was RTÉ’s plan, not the Government’s plan, he added and as such did not require Government approval. RTÉ would have to cut its cloth to suit its measure and was no different from other public sector organisations, he said.

RTÉ was autonomous in its activities just like any other semi state or state enterprise, added Mr Varadkar. He pointed out that the redundancies included in the strategic plan would take place over a number of years and he hoped that they would not include compulsory redundancies.

“I don't like to see compulsory redundancies happening in state entities and I know a lot of this is going to come as a shock to a lot of very good hard working people that work in RTÉ.

"But I think what has to happen really is for management to engage with the staff. That's the right approach.”