Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 October 2023
49. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the increase provided for in the estimates for 2025 in funding for TG4 and RTÉ respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45689/23]
View answerAdditional funding of €4.8 million was allocated to TG4 as part of Budget 2024, bringing the total allocation for next year to €57.033 million. TG4 has been provided with substantial additional resources under my term as Minister, with a total increase of €19.8m in funding being provided over the lifetime of this Government. This is a 53% increase on the level of funding TG4 had in 2020.
The additional funding will support TG4 in the delivery of their 2023 - 2027 strategy, and ensuring the provision of high-quality Irish language audio-visual content. This investment also provides for the consolidation of the new Cúla4 service, which I launched last month and will enable the commissioning of additional content for children as a priority audience for the broadcaster. I will continue to support TG4 as it grows its content, schedule and audience, and as it continues to support increased use of Irish in our day-to-day lives.
As recommended by the Future of Media Commission, and underpinned by the more recent NewERA analysis, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and I have acknowledged the need to provide interim funding of €16 million to RTÉ. As I stated last week, this is being dealt with post budget, while any further interim funding, required as a result of declining TV licence revenues, will be considered later in the year when we receive RTÉ’s Strategic Vision addressing reform, the rebuilding of the organisation and critically, public trust.
