Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2019
530. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the full breakdown of the 85% of the licence fee that is directed to RTÉ in order for it to carry out its public service media commitments; the terms and conditions of the granting of the funds to RTÉ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24864/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe principle objects of RTÉ are set out under Section 114 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and the allocation of public funding in respect of television licence fee is established under Section 123 of the Act.
In addition to oversight by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, RTÉ is subject to regulation by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. RTÉ is audited separately and independently by externally appointed auditors.
RTÉ is obliged under Section 101 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to prepare a Public Service Statement within 12 months of the passing of the Act, and every 5 years thereafter. Every such statement is required to set out the principles to be observed and the activities to be undertaken by the corporation in order to fulfil its public service objects, as laid out in Section 114 of the Act.
RTE is required to comply fully with the 2016 Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, and also to prepare an annual statement of performance commitments which must be aligned with its public service statement and statement of strategy.
Taken with its statutory objects and any extant statement of strategy prepared under section 99 of the Act, the Public Service Statement informs the corporation's annual Statement of Performance Commitments. The extent to which the corporation has fulfilled its commitments under this Statement of Performance Commitments is reviewed on an annual and five yearly basis by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland in accordance with section 124 and, on the basis of this review, the Authority is required to submit to me, as Minister, a report which is to include recommendations in regard to the adequacy of funding of the corporation.
The breakdown of licence fee funding allocated to RTÉ is published in the Annual Report and Accounts which are available on the RTÉ website at: www.RTE.ie. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2018 will be published shortly.
