RTÉ Scandal Drives €58M Drop in TV Licence Revenue

Revenue from Ireland’s TV licence fees has decreased by over €58 million in the past two years, a significant decline attributed to a series of financial scandals involving the national broadcaster, RTÉ. Official figures reveal that following these controversies, many viewers opted not to pay the annual licence fee, which stands at €160.

Before the scandals erupted in the summer of 2023, approximately 1.9 million individuals paid the fee, generating €306 million in revenue from July 2021 to June 2023. This included 1.7 million renewals and 243,179 first-time purchases. However, the subsequent two-year period, from July 2023 to June 2025, saw a drastic drop in the number of paid licences. Only 1.55 million people paid, a decline of over 365,000, leading to total revenues of €247.6 million, marking a 19% decrease compared to the previous two years.

Despite the downturn, there are signs of recovery. Following the announcement of a new funding arrangement for RTÉ on July 24, 2024, the number of licence fee payments showed a slight increase. In the previous year, 947,999 individuals paid the fee, but this number fell to 761,762 payments between July 2023 and June 2024. Recently, the figure rose again to 785,595, although this remains 17% below pre-scandal levels. As of now, 376,140 people have already paid the licence fee for the current year.

These figures were disclosed to Fine Gael TD Micheál Carrigy following his parliamentary inquiry to Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan. Central to the scandals were revelations that former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy received €345,000 over six years that was not previously declared by RTÉ. It was later uncovered that this payment was part of a three-year “side deal” involving Renault, which had initially agreed to pay Tubridy €75,000 annually but withdrew after the first year, leaving RTÉ to cover the remaining €150,000.

The fallout from these financial mismanagements included a scrutiny of extravagant expenditures, such as €5,000 spent on flip-flops and memberships to exclusive London clubs, alongside a failed musical adaptation of The Late Late Toy Show.

In response to the ongoing issues surrounding TV licence compliance, Minister O’Donovan has reconvened the interdepartmental technical working group (TWG) focused on the TV licence system to explore potential enhancements. “I will consider the report of the TWG when I receive it and decide the next steps,” he stated.

Interestingly, the number of legal actions taken for non-payment of the licence fee has decreased. In 2022, An Post initiated 13,709 summons applications and pursued 7,263 court cases. These figures showed a slight reduction in 2023, with 13,198 applications and 6,555 cases, and further declined in 2024 to 12,229 summons applications and 5,392 court cases.

The Government has committed to providing RTÉ with €725 million in funding over the next three years. Minister Catherine Martin reaffirmed that the TV licence will remain in place, with State support ensuring a consistent level of funding for RTÉ each year.