Television Licence Fee

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2023

Wednesday, 27 September 2023

Questions (85)

Imelda Munster

Question:

85. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to the report of the Commission on the Future of Media, which identified the taxpayer contribution to public service media in 2020 as being €106 million, comprised of funding for free TV licences under the household benefits package worth €69.8 million and direct funding to TG4 worth €37.2 million, if she will provide the equivalent figures for 2022 and the estimates for 2023, in tabular form. [41874/23]

Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The Future of Media Commission Report, in its analysis of future funding options, notes that in 2020 €143.8m of public service media funding was contributed by the TV Licence purchases and a further €106m through Exchequer funding. The Exchequer element comprises both direct funding of TG4 and the contribution towards the cost of free TV licences which are awarded under Department of Social Protection Household Benefits packages.

The table below presents the equivalent public service media Exchequer contributions for 2022 and 2023.

	2022	2023
TG4	€44.9m	€52.2m
DSP ‘free’ Licence contribution	€69.8m	€69.8m
TOTAL	€114.7m	€122.0m