Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2024
214. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the total revenue collected by the TV licence in the past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7227/24]
View answer215. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the total number of households who paid for a TV licence in the past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7228/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together.
Public Service Media plays a vital role in our democracy and our society as a whole. It is therefore essential, as I have always maintained, that households continue to purchase a TV licence and contribute towards funding quality public service media.
The total number of TV Licences purchased, and the total revenues collected from these sales, over the last four years are shown in the table below.
|
2023 |
824,278 |
€131.884m |
|
2022 |
947,924 |
€151.668m |
|
2021 |
951,454 |
€152.233m |
|
2020 |
961,277 |
€153.804m |
In addition to the above, the Department of Social Protection has made a contribution of €69.8m each year for ‘free’ TV Licences distributed under the Household Benefits Package. The number of these free licences averaged 514,245 in 2023; 506,635 in 2022; 478,482 in 2021; and 463,819 in 2020.
The TV Licence not only provides funding for RTÉ but also for content funded though the Sound and Vision program which is of such assistance to the independent production sector, both in radio and in television. This funding supports a wide range of public service content, from impartial current affairs programming, educational public service content, and a broad variety of children's, sport and entertainment programming that speaks to all of Ireland’s communities, without which our democracy and our society would be much the poorer.
