Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
217. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the €2 million allocated to the sound and vision fund in the July stimulus was a once-off funding increase; if not, if it now forms part of annual core funding; if the funding will be allocated again in 2023; and the total amount of funding that has been provided by the Exchequer to the sound and vision fund to date in 2022. [38187/22]
View answerSection 156 (2) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that the core funding of the Sound and Vision Scheme is derived from the disbursement of 7% of the net TV licence fee receipts to the Broadcasting Fund, which is operated by the BAI and supports both the Sound and Vision (S&V) and Archiving Schemes. The amount allocated to the Broadcasting Fund from TV Licence receipts in 2020 was €14.9m and in 2021 was €14.8m. Figures for 2022 and 2023 are not yet available as the allocation will depend on the number of TV Licences sold this year and next year. However, from January to June 2022, the Broadcasting Fund received €7.1m from TV Licence sales.
Section 156 (3) of the Broadcasting Act also provides that additional Exchequer funding to the Sound and Vision Scheme may be allocated from time to time with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform but these payments are once-off funding measures rather than core funding.
2020 was the first year that Exchequer funding was allocated to the Sound and Vision Scheme, which was provided in recognition of impact of COVID-19 on the sector and comprised €2m funding as part of the July stimulus package. Additional Exchequer funding of €4.9m was provided to the Sound and Vision Scheme in December 2020, €1m of this was distributed by the BAI in December and the balance of €3.9m was allocated in 2021.
I have allocated an additional €8m of Exchequer funding to support the Sound and Vision Scheme in 2022. €2m will be ring-fenced for Irish language; €2m for live music; and €1.5m for general Sound and Vision scheme projects. €5m will be ring-fenced for Climate Change and Climate Action in a Sound and Vision Scheme funding round with matching contributions of €2.5m from my Department and Minister Eamon Ryan in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
It is not possible at this juncture to state if additional Exchequer funding will be provided for the Sound and Vision scheme in 2023.
